Prime Minister and Defense Minister Gen.Prayut Chan-ocha pledged to offer 2.4-billion-baht in soft loans to seven airlines by October during a meeting with their executives on Friday.
Thai AirAsia, Thai AirAsiaX, THAI Smile Airways, Thai Lion Air, Thai Vietjet, Bangkok Airways and Nok Air sought the government’s help for the aviation business, suffering from adverse impacts from the coronavirus pandemic.
The prime minister said he was worried about the airline operators regarding liquidity to maintain employment of their employees.
After meeting with the prime minister, Thai AirAsia chairman Tassapon Bijleveld said that besides asking for allocation of soft loans, local airlines asked for extension of the excise tax cut for jet fuel and reduction of airline operation fees such as includes parking and landing charges.
He said he could smile today as the premier vowed to help airlines by allocating soft loans by October and extending other relief measures including lower airline-related fees to March 2022. (TNA)
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