On October 30, 2019, Thai Airways returned to Sendai in Japan’s Tohoku region for the first time in more than five years.
At the same time, the airline indicated that it is also considering additional, one-stop flights to the city to be operated by its subsidiary Thai Smile Airways.
TG626/627: Bangkok Suvarnabhumi- Sendai and Back
The first flight on the relaunched route departed Bangkok Suvarnabhumi (BKK) on October 29, 2019, and landed at Sendai (SDJ) the following day.
Going forwards, the flights will operate three times a week with the following schedule:
- TG626 / BKK – SDJ / 11:59PM – 7:40AM+1 (Tue, Thu & Sat)
- TG627 / SDJ – BKK / 11:15AM – 4:05PM (Wed, Fri & Sun)
The inaugural flight was operated by a 777-300 in the special Royal Barge livery.
Other than that, however, the flight is scheduled to be operated by the smaller 777-200, though. As such, the airline will offer 309 seats on each of the flight including 30 in business class and 279 in economy class.
Thai Airways’ previous attempt to serve Sendai lated just a few months, from December 2013 until March 2014. After that, the airline has operated several charter flights between the two airports.
The new flight is Sendai airport’s sole scheduled non-stop link with Southeast Asia.
It’s Thai’s seventh destination in Japan. Besides Sendai, the airline connects Bangkok with:
- Tokyo Narita (three times a day)
- Tokyo Haneda (twice a day)
- Osaka Kansai (twice a day)
- Nagoya Centrair (twice a day)
- Fukuoka (once a day)
- Sapporo (once a day)
Thai Smile’s Potential One-Stop Flight to Sendai
During the inaugural event at Sendai airport on October 30, 2019, the airline’s President Sumeth Damrongchaitham said that the company is considering additional, one-stop flights to Sendai as well.
These flights will be operated by Thai Smile Airways four times a week, and will be an extension of the airline’s current flights from Bangkok to either Hong Kong or Kaohsiung in Taiwan.
They might start as early as July 2020.
If the flights materialize, Sendai’s connection with Bangkok will turn daily: three times a week non-stop and four times a week with one stop. It will also be the first time for Thai Smile to operate to Japan.
Assuming the airline will have fifth freedom rights, the flight will also be the first connection between Sendai and either of the cities. That said, three airlines – Eva Air, Peach, and Tigerair – currently offer 19 weekly flights between Sendai and Taipei.
Summary
It’s nice to see medium-haul flights return to Sendai once again and to see a non-stop connection to Southeast Asia from the Tohoku region which was struck by the earthquake and tsunami back in 2011.
Hopefully, unlike with Thai Airways’ previous attempt, this time the route will last longer than just a few months.
It would also be great to see Thai Smile provide a further connection between the cities and connect Sendai with another Asian city it doesn’t have link to yet in the process.
Whether that will be – assuming it actually happens – through Hong Kong or Kaohsiung remains to be seen. It will likely depend on, among other reasons, the situation in Hong Kong at the time.
