Murky path towards post-pandemic recovery for some Southeast Asian airlines

It has been more than a year since Captain Dejphon Poolpun last took to the skies. The Thai Airways pilot has not received any flying allowance at all, while his basic salary was cut as the company suffered billions of losses. The hiatus in flying has meant a complete change in his lifestyle. These days, he spends much of his time in the kitchen of his Bangkok home, where he bakes tray after tray of brownies for his online shop Flying Sweets. Due to the pandemic, he lost 60% of his salary as a pilot. Across the region, many pilots and flight attendants have been laid off, while others are forced to take substantial pay cuts. Many had to supplement their income by selling food or other goods. Meanwhile, airlines continue to suffer losses, forcing companies to downsize their fleet and employees and make drastic changes to their business strategies. Thai Airways, for example, had to file a business reorganisation petition to the country’s Central Bankruptcy Court. Meanwhile, others like Malaysia Airlines and Garuda Indonesia have been engaged in negotiation processes with airplane leasing firms and creditors to restructure their loans. The pandemic has caused a massive drop in the number of passengers worldwide and carriers from the region have not been spared. Story has more on Southeast Asia.<br/>