Title: PC Air: an extreme case of fleet planning problems

Authors: Orawan Nugprachaya; Poowin Bunyavejchewin

Addresses: Institute of East Asian Studies, Thammasat University, Pathum Thani, 12121, Thailand ' Institute of East Asian Studies, Thammasat University, Pathum Thani, 12121, Thailand; Vejchewin Research Institute, Delhi, 110085, India

Abstract: From 2000 to 2019, a total of 31 airline firms were launched in Thailand but then shut down, mostly within a short period of time. Although a vast array of factors could contribute to airline failures, this study focuses on pitfalls in the airline fleet planning process, notably equipment selection and acquisition. Of the 31 defunct airlines, PC Air, a short-lived charter carrier, was selected for analysis since it was an extreme case study, representing a textbook pitfall trap in which airline firms have rarely fallen into in real-world aviation business situations. In the PC Air case, flawed fleet planning was a clear-cut error behind its collapse. This was exemplified through the unsound selection and acquisition of the used aircraft, which mismatched the airline's mission and contradicted the charter carrier business model, and via its ill-advised decision to conduct commercial operations with only one aircraft.

Keywords: airbus; A310-200; aircraft acquisition; aircraft selection; charter carrier; defunct Thai airlines; fleet management; fleet planning; PC Air; Thailand.

DOI: 10.1504/IJSA.2023.132112

International Journal of Sustainable Aviation, 2023 Vol.9 No.3, pp.205 - 219

Received: 08 Sep 2022
Accepted: 07 Nov 2022
Published online: 11 Jul 2023 *

Full-text access for editors Full-text access for subscribers Purchase this article Comment on this article