Thai Airways on-ground experiences taking off

Thai Airways has found a way to offer those experiences despite being grounded by Covid-19 and landing in bankruptcy court under crippling debt. The airline is selling time on its flight simulators to wannabe pilots while its catering division is serving meals in a flight-themed restaurant complete with airline seats and attentive cabin crew. The airline is trying to boost staff morale, polish its image and bring in a few coins, even as it juggles preparing to resume international flights while devising a business reorganisation plan. If you’re nuts about aeronautics, it doesn’t get much better than this: a hands-on half-hour at the controls of an Airbus A380 simulator, yours for 20,000 baht. Since the pandemic has clipped airlines’ wings, THAI devised the packages to keep its air crew motivated. It offers a four-day “pilot experience” package, of which the simulator is a part, or access can also be bought to the simulator alone. So far, almost 100 customers have savoured the thrill of a virtual take-off and landing at an airport of their choosing. A session last week featured Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport, though the pilots say the most popular choice has been Tokyo. The cockpit is an exact copy, pilots said, even down to the feel of the buttons. The pilot managing the project says it’s the kudos that count. “The income is secondary. The real objective is to keep the relationship with Thai Airways passengers, ” Capt Chaisupatt Mulsrikaew said.<br/>