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99-537: On 20 May 2011, the Thai Airways board announced plans to create a new lower-cost airline, at the time dubbed Thai Wings . The creation of the airline was announced by Ampon Kittiampon, the chairman of Thai's board of directors, on 19 August 2011. It began operations in July 2012. According to Ampon, THAI Smile was intended to serve the market gap between low-cost carriers and full service airlines. The name THAI Smile

198-426: A cost of available seat mile (CASM) advantage in relation to the traditional and established, legacy airlines such as Trans World Airlines and American Airlines . Often this CASM advantage has been attributed solely to the lower labor costs of the newly hired and lower pay grade workers of new start-up carriers, such as ValuJet , Midway Airlines, and their like. However, these lower costs can also be attributed to

297-880: A domestic legacy airline and one or more foreign investors. By mid-2013, these new LCCs were operating at a unit cost of around 8 yen per seat-kilometer, compared to 10–11 yen per seat-kilometer for domestic legacy airlines. However, their unit cost was still much higher than the 3 yen per seat-kilometer for AirAsia in Malaysia , due to the higher cost of landing fees and personnel in Japan. By 2017, low-cost carriers had achieved market share of 57.2% in South Asia and 52.6% in Southeast Asia. Market share remained somewhat lower in Europe at 37.9% and North America at 32.7%. For

396-422: A flight on a full-service carrier. Most airlines charge additional taxes and fees on their tickets. Some low-cost airlines have been known to charge fees for the seemingly ridiculous, such as levying a credit card charge if credit card is the only payment method accepted. While tour and package operators have offered lower-priced, lower-frilled traveling for a large part of modern airline history, not until during

495-543: A further 44. Unlike the competing but larger Boeing 727 trijet , which used as many 707 components as possible, the DC-9 was developed as an all-new design. Throughout its development, Douglas had placed considerable emphasis on making the airliner as economic as possible, as well as to facilitate its future growth. The adoption of the Pratt & Whitney JT8D low-bypass turbofan engine, which had already been developed for

594-544: A greater number of add-on fees. In the US market, Allegiant Air , Frontier Airlines , Spirit Airlines , and Sun Country Airlines are considered to be ULCCs. In Europe, Ryanair and Wizz Air are the most prominent ULCCs. In Asia, AirAsia and Lion Air are the most prominent ULCCs. The pricing policy of the low-cost carriers is usually very dynamic as befits their business model, with frequent discounts and tickets in promotion. Like other carriers, however, even if

693-462: A gross weight of 69,000 lb (31,300 kg). This design was changed into what would be the initial DC-9 variant. During February 1963, detailed design work commenced. On April 8, 1963, Douglas announced that it would proceed with the DC-9. Shortly thereafter, Delta Air Lines placed the initial order for the DC-9, ordering 15 aircraft along with options for another 15. By January 1965, Douglas had garnered orders for 58 DC-9 as well as options for

792-552: A higher age limit on unaccompanied minors than full-service carriers. Often these airlines do not offer connecting tickets, since the airline will have to pay for ground crew to transfer luggage. A customer may create a connection manually by purchasing two separate tickets, but these are considered separate contracts, and the passenger bears the risk if a delayed inbound flight causes a missed connection. When most countries had national monopolies, crews could negotiate pay raises and good pension benefits (something that costs money for

891-419: A key factor that contributed to the DC-9 becoming the best selling airliner in the world for a time. By May 1976, the company had delivered 726 aircraft of the DC-9 family, which was more than double the number of its nearest competitor. However, following decades of intense competition between the two airliners, the DC-9 would eventually be overtaken as the world's best selling airliner by Boeing's 737. From

990-795: A large-scale reduction of its fleet of Boeing 737 aircraft and operations. In March 2017, International Airlines Group established Level , a long-haul low-cost virtual airline based in Barcelona Airport and serving destinations in North and South America. Long-haul low-cost carriers are emerging on the transatlantic flights market with 545,000 seats offered over 60 city pairs in September 2017 (a 66% growth over one year), compared to 652,000 seats over 96 pairs for Leisure airlines and 8,798,000 seats over 357 pairs for mainline carriers . Former American Airlines CEO Bob Crandall thinks

1089-566: A larger wing and a higher MTOW. This was further developed into the third generation, the MD-90 , in the early 1990s, as the body was stretched again, fitted with V2500 high-bypass turbofans, and an updated flight deck. The shorter and final version, the MD-95, was renamed the Boeing 717 after McDonnell Douglas's merger with Boeing in 1997; it is powered by Rolls-Royce BR715 engines. The DC-9 family

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1188-619: A larger wing and more powerful engines for a higher maximum takeoff weight (MTOW); it first flew in August 1966 and entered service in February 1967. The Series 20 has the Series 10 fuselage, more powerful engines, and the Series 30's improved wings; it first flew in September 1968 and entered service in January 1969. The Series 40 was further lengthened by 6 ft (2 m) for 125 passengers, and

1287-484: A maximum weight of 82,000 lb (37,000 kg). The Series 10 was similar in size and configuration to the BAC One-Eleven and featured a T-tail and rear-mounted engines. Power was provided by a pair of 12,500  lbf (56  kN ) JT8D-5 or 14,000 lbf (62 kN) JT8D-7 engines. A total of 137 were built. Delta Air Lines was the initial operator. The Series 10 was produced in two main subvariants,

1386-519: A minimum set of equipment, further reducing costs of acquisition and maintenance, as well as keeping the weight of the aircraft lower and thus saving fuel. Depending on the low-cost airline seats do not recline and do not have rear pockets, to reduce cleaning and maintenance costs. Others have no window shades. Pilot conveniences, such as ACARS , may be excluded. Often, no in-flight entertainment systems are made available, though many US low-cost carriers do offer satellite television or radio in-flight. It

1485-460: A page from the mainline, major, or legacy carriers' desire to reduce costs in all ways possible in regards regional route networks by outsourcing regional operations to the lowest expense airline bidder capable of operating regional aircraft, a new generation of low-cost airlines (in name only) soon evolved in the US with varying levels of success. Among these varieties of low-cost and discount operators were noteworthy starts-ups that managed to get off

1584-468: A simpler fare scheme, such as selling only one-way tickets. Typically fares increase as the plane fills up, which rewards early reservations. In Europe (and early in Southwest's history) luggage is not transferred from one flight to another, even if both flights are with the same airline. This saves costs and is thought to encourage passengers to take direct flights. Tickets are not sold with transfers, so

1683-449: A single aircraft type, so that cabin and ground crew will only have to be trained to work on one type of aircraft. This is also beneficial from a maintenance standpoint as spare parts and mechanics will only be dedicated to one type of aircraft. These airlines tend to operate short-haul flights that suit the range of narrow-body (single aisle) planes. As of lately, however, there is also a rise in demand for long range low-cost flights and

1782-512: A sizable fleet of DC-9s, most of which were over 30 years old at the time. With severe increases in fuel prices in the summer of 2008, Northwest Airlines began retiring its DC-9s, switching to Airbus A319s that are 27% more fuel efficient. As the Northwest/Delta merger progressed, Delta returned several stored DC-9s to service. Delta Air Lines made its last DC-9 commercial flight from Minneapolis/St. Paul to Atlanta on January 6, 2014, with

1881-755: A week, and Melbourne thrice weekly. On 11 March 2009, AirAsia X started its first low-cost long-haul service into Europe, to London Stansted . The daily flights are operated by two leased Airbus A340 -300s. A one-way economy-class ticket often costs £150, and the premium-class one-way often costs £350. On 12 January 2012, AirAsia announced that it would be suspending services to London on 1 April 2012. Low-cost European airline, Norwegian Air Shuttle , started long-haul low-cost operations in May 2013 under their Norwegian Long Haul arm. Norwegian initially operated flights to Bangkok and New York from Scandinavia using leased Airbus A340 aircraft, switching to new Boeing 787s in

1980-463: Is 600 nmi (1,100 km; 690 mi), increasing to 1,450 nmi (2,690 km; 1,670 mi) with full fuel. The aircraft is fitted with a passenger door in the port forward fuselage, and a service door/emergency exit is installed opposite. An airstair installed below the front passenger door was available as an option as was an airstair in the tailcone. This also doubled as an emergency exit. Available with either two or four overwing exits,

2079-500: Is 81,700 lb (37,100 kg). The Series 14 has a fuel capacity of 3,693 US gallons (with the 907 US gal centre section fuel). The Series 15, certificated on January 21, 1966, is physically identical to the Series 14 but has an increased MTOW of 90,700 lb (41,100 kg). Typical range with 50 passengers and baggage is 950 nautical miles [nmi] (1,760 km; 1,090 mi), increasing to 1,278 nmi (2,367 km; 1,471 mi) at long-range cruise. Range with maximum payload

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2178-535: Is a further lengthened version. With a 6 ft 6 in (2 m) longer fuselage, accommodation was up to 125 passengers. The Series 40 was fitted with Pratt & Whitney engines with thrust of 14,500 to 16,000 lbf (64 to 71 kN). A total of 71 were produced. The variant first entered service with Scandinavian Airlines System (SAS) in March 1968. Its unit cost was US$ 5.2 million (1972) (equivalent to US$ 28.73 million in 2023) . The Series 50

2277-511: Is a result of the rear-mounted engines. The DC-9 series, the first generation of the DC-9 family, includes five members or variants and 10 subvariants, which are the production versions (types). Their designations use the Series (DC-9-) prefix followed by a two-digit numbering with the same first digit and the second digit being a zero for variant names and a nonzero for version/type designations. The first variant, Series 10 (DC-9-10), has four versions (Series 11, Series 12, Series 14 and Series 15);

2376-575: Is also becoming a popular approach to install LCD monitors onto the aircraft and broadcast advertisements on them, coupled with the traditional route–altitude–speed information. Some allow priority boarding for an extra fee instead of reserved seating, and some allow reserving a seat in an emergency exit row (for longer leg room) at an extra cost. Like the major carriers, many low-cost carriers develop one or more bases to maximize destination coverage and defend their market. Many do not operate traditional hubs , but rather focus cities . Airlines often offer

2475-621: Is an American five-abreast, single-aisle aircraft designed by the Douglas Aircraft Company . It was initially produced as the Douglas DC-9 prior to August 1967, after which point the company had merged with McDonnell Aircraft to become McDonnell Douglas . Following the introduction of its first jetliner, the high-capacity DC-8 , in 1959, Douglas was interested in producing an aircraft suited to smaller routes. As early as 1958, design studies were conducted; approval for

2574-638: Is derived from the DC-9 family. The ARJ21 is built with manufacturing tooling from the MD-90 Trunkliner program. As a consequence, it has the same fuselage cross-section, nose profile, and tail. The DC-9 was designed for short to medium-haul routes, often to smaller airports with shorter runways and less ground infrastructure than the major airports being served by larger airliners like the Boeing 707 and Douglas DC-8, where accessibility and short-field characteristics were needed. The DC-9's takeoff weight

2673-400: Is the reduction of cost and reduced overall fares compared to legacy carriers. Traditional airlines have also reduced their cost using several of these practices. Most low-cost carriers operate aircraft configured with a single passenger class, and some low-cost carriers choose to operate more than one type and configure their aircraft with more than one passenger class, but most operate just

2772-420: Is well known for using fuel hedging programs to reduce its overall fuel costs. Check-in at the gate of luggage requires fees, as it requires addition to the weight calculation and last-minute baggage handling. Online check-in is becoming common, again in the interest of avoiding personnel costs. Where permissible, some airlines have a disinclination to handle Special Service passengers, for instance by placing

2871-460: Is why Ryanair flies to Gatwick Airport , Luton Airport , and Stansted Airport in the London area and how easyJet is able to fly to Paris-Charles de Gaulle , and Amsterdam Airport Schiphol . In London's case however, low-cost carriers would not be able to use Heathrow as the airport is running at near capacity, so there is no room to build a base. The airlines tend to offload, service and re-load

2970-420: The Boeing 727 , enabled Douglas to benefit from the preexisting investment. Pratt & Whitney had long collaborated with Douglas on various projects, thus their engine was a natural choice for the company. In order to reduce the considerable financial burden of its development, Douglas implemented one of the first shared-risk production arrangements for the DC-9, arranging for de Havilland Canada to produce

3069-855: The European Commission , the LCCs market share (44.8%) exceeded legacy carriers (42.4%) in 2012: between 2002 and 2017, LCC share of international seat capacity rose from 23% to 57% in the UK, from 10% to 55% in Italy and from 9% to 56% in Spain but have still room for growth in domestic seat-capacity In France with 19% and in Germany with 25% in 2017, compared with 66% in the UK, 48% in Spain and 47% in Italy. By early 2019, there were more than 100 LCCs operating 6,000 aircraft, doubled from 2,900 aircraft at

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3168-612: The Federal Aviation Administration , and the US Air Force . The Series 20 has an overall length of 104.4 feet (31.82 m), a fuselage length of 92.1 feet (28.07 m), a passenger-cabin length of 60 feet (18.29 m), and a wingspan of 93.3 feet (28.44 m). The DC-9 Series 20 is powered by the 15,000 lbf (67 kN) thrust JT8D-11 engine. The Series 20 was originally certificated at an MTOW of 94,500 lb (42,900 kg) but this

3267-481: The Sud Aviation Caravelle and produce a licensed version if sufficient orders were forthcoming from airlines. However, none were ever ordered from the company, leading to Douglas returning to its design studies after the co-operation deal expired. In 1962, design studies were underway into what would become the DC-9, known as Model 2086. The first envisioned version seated 63 passengers and had

3366-891: The UK and Canada for £89. In August 2006, Zoom announced a UK subsidiary to offer low-cost long-haul flights to the United States and India, but suspended its operations from 28 August 2008 due to high fuel prices inducing financial problems. In 2005, Emirates ' Tim Clark viewed long-haul low-cost as inevitable, flights could be operated on 760 seats all-economy Airbus A380s , or 870 for an hypothetical A380 stretch. Since 2005, Australia's Jetstar Airways operates international flights, starting with Christchurch , New Zealand. In late 2006, others followed from Sydney , Melbourne and Brisbane , to popular tourist destinations within 10 hours like Honolulu , Japan, Vietnam , Thailand and Malaysia . With new aircraft deliveries, it hopes to fly to

3465-417: The DC-9 was largely analogue, with flight controls mainly consisting of various levers, wheels, and knobs. The problem of deep stalling , revealed by the loss of the BAC One-Eleven prototype in 1963, was overcome through various changes, including the introduction of vortilons , small surfaces beneath the wings' leading edges used to control airflow and increase low-speed lift. The need for such features

3564-607: The DC-9, a smaller all-new jetliner, came on April 8, 1963. The DC-9-10 first flew on February 25, 1965, and gained its type certificate on November 23, to enter service with Delta Air Lines on December 8. The DC-9 is powered by two rear-mounted Pratt & Whitney JT8D low-bypass turbofan engines under a T-tail for a cleaner wing aerodynamic. It has a two-person flight deck and built-in airstairs to better suit smaller airports. The Series 10 aircraft are 104 ft (32 m) long for typically 90 coach seats. The Series 30, stretched by 15 ft (4.5 m) to seat 115 in economy, has

3663-521: The DC-9-10 can seat up to a maximum certified exit limit of 109 passengers. Typical all-economy layout is 90 passengers, and 72 passengers in a more typical mixed-class layout with 12 first and 60 economy-class passengers. All versions of the DC-9 are equipped with a tricycle undercarriage, featuring a twin nose unit and twin main units. The Series 20 was designed to satisfy a Scandinavian Airlines request for improved short-field performance by using

3762-478: The Irish Aviation Authority. As supply increases, this sort of differentiation by brand is an important criteria for the future success of low-cost carriers, since many experts believe price competition alone is not enough, given the number of carriers. As the number of low-cost carriers has grown, these airlines have begun to compete with one another in addition to the traditional carriers. In

3861-625: The Middle East and 12% within Africa. A long-haul low-cost operation would be harder to differentiate from a conventional airline as there are few cost savings possibilities, while the seat costs would have to be lower than the competition. Long-haul aircraft scheduling is often determined by time zone constraints, like leaving the US East Coast in the evening and arriving in Europe

3960-468: The Model -51. Some visual cues to distinguish this version from other DC-9 variants include side strakes or fins below the side cockpit windows, spray deflectors on the nose gear, and thrust reversers angled inward 17 degrees as compared to the original configuration. The thrust reverser modification was developed by Air Canada for its earlier aircraft, and adopted by McDonnell Douglas as a standard feature on

4059-399: The Series 14 and 15, although, of the first four aircraft, three were built as Series 11s and one as Series 12. These were later converted to Series 14 standard. No Series 13 was produced. A passenger/cargo version of the aircraft, with a 136-by-81-inch (3.5 by 2.1 m) side cargo door forward of the wing and a reinforced cabin floor, was certificated on March 1, 1967. Cargo versions included

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4158-407: The Series 15MC (minimum change) with folding seats that can be carried in the rear of the aircraft, and the Series 15RC (rapid change) with seats removable on pallets. These differences disappeared over the years as new interiors were installed. The Series 10 was unique in the DC-9 family in not having leading-edge slats. The Series 10 was designed to have short takeoff and landing distances without

4257-491: The Series 30, 40 and 50, has a slightly lower basic fuel capacity than the Series 10 (3,679 US gallons). The Series 30 was produced to counter Boeing's 737 twinjet; 662 were built, about 60% of the total. The -30 entered service with Eastern Airlines in February 1967 with a 14 ft 9 in (4.50 m) fuselage stretch, wingspan increased by just over 3 ft (0.9 m) and full-span leading edge slats , improving takeoff and landing performance. Maximum takeoff weight

4356-587: The Series 31 is the JT8D-7 (14,000 lbf (62 kN) thrust), although it was also available with the -9 and -17 engines. On the Series 32 the JT8D-9 (14,500 lbf (64 kN) thrust) was standard, with the -11 also offered. The Series 33 was offered with the JT8D-9 or -11 (15,000 lbf (67 kN) thrust) engines and the heavyweight -34 with the JT8D-9, -15 (15,000 lbf (67 kN) thrust) or -17 (16,000 lbf (71 kN) thrust) engines. The DC-9-40

4455-399: The US, airlines have responded by introducing variations to the model. In Europe, the emphasis has remained on reducing costs and no-frills service. A secondary term ultra low-cost carrier ( ULCC ) has been used to differentiate some low-cost airlines whose model deviates further from that of a standard low-cost carrier, with ultra low-cost carriers having minimal inclusions in the fare and

4554-440: The advertised base prices are very low, charges and taxes are typically not mentioned. With some airlines, some flights are advertised as free (plus applicable taxes, fees and charges). Depending on the airline, perhaps as many (or as few) as ten percent of the seats on any flight are offered at the lowest price and are the first to sell. The prices steadily rise thereafter to a point where they can be comparable or more expensive than

4653-673: The aircraft (turnaround) in shorter time periods and do not wait for late passengers, allowing maximum utilization of aircraft. Low-cost carriers generate ancillary revenue from a variety of activities, such as à la carte features and commission-based products. Some airlines may charge a fee for a pillow or blanket or for carry-on baggage. In Europe, it is common for each and every convenience and service to have an additional charge. Low-cost carriers intend to be low-cost, so in many cases employees work multiple roles. At some airlines flight attendants also work as gate agents or assume other roles, thereby limiting personnel costs. Southwest Airlines

4752-676: The airline can avoid responsibility for passengers' connections in the event of a delay. Low-cost carriers often have a sparse schedule with one flight per day and route, so it would be hard to find an alternative for a missed connection. Modern US-based low-cost carriers generally transfer baggage for continuing flights, as well as transferring baggage to other airlines. Many airlines opt to have passengers board via stairs, since jetways generally cost more to lease. Often, low-cost carriers fly to smaller, less congested secondary airports and/or fly to airports during off-peak hours to avoid air traffic delays and take advantage of lower landing fees . This

4851-1260: The airline may charge extra fees, such as for carry-on baggage. The term originated within the airline industry referring to airlines with a lower operating cost structure than their competitors. The term is often applied to any carrier with low ticket prices and limited services regardless of their operating models. Low-cost carriers should not be confused with regional airlines that operate short-haul flights without service, or with full-service airlines offering some reduced fares. Some airlines advertise themselves as low-cost while maintaining products usually associated with traditional mainline carriers’ services. These products include preferred or assigned seating , catering, differentiated premium cabins , satellite or ground-based Wi-Fi internet, and in-flight audio and video entertainment . The term ultra low-cost carrier ( ULCC ) has been used, particularly in North America and Europe to refer to carriers that do not provide these services and amenities. The low-cost carrier business model practices vary widely. Some practices are more common in certain regions, while others are generally universal. The common theme among all low-cost carriers

4950-573: The airlines only in the long term). During this period, most passengers were business travellers who paid high fares that covered these costs. After deregulation, which led to lower fares, many airlines remained bound to these salary agreements and pensions, whereas new low-cost carriers employed new staff with lower salaries, especially for cabin crew, keeping personnel costs low and allowing for competitive fares. In some cases airlines have gone bankrupt (e.g., Alitalia , Sabena , and Swissair ), and new airlines replaced them. Traditional carriers followed

5049-612: The availability of next generation planes that make long haul routes more feasible for LCCs. In the past, low-cost carriers tended to operate older aircraft purchased second-hand, such as the McDonnell Douglas DC-9 and older models of the Boeing 737 . Since 2000, fleets generally consist of the newest aircraft, commonly the Airbus A320 family and Boeing 737. Although buying new aircraft is usually more expensive than second-hand, new planes are cheaper to operate in

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5148-592: The continental US and Europe . In April 2006, the industry magazine Airline Business analysed the potential for low-cost long-haul service and concluded that a number of Asian carriers, including AirAsia, were closest to making such a model work. On 26 October 2006, Oasis Hong Kong Airlines started flying from Hong Kong to London-Gatwick . The lowest prices for flights between Hong Kong to London could be as low at £75 (approximately US$ 150) per leg (not including taxes and other charges) for economy class and £470 (approximately US$ 940) per leg for business class for

5247-692: The end of Skytrain . In late 2007, Cebu Pacific , the Philippines ' largest low-cost carrier, announced non-stop flights from the Philippines to the United States West Coast and other US cities from mid-2009. The airline also intends to launch low-cost service to Middle East , where around a million Filipinos are based, and in Europe. Flights to Dubai — its first long-haul destination — started in 2013. As of September 2024, it operates flights to Dubai daily, to Sydney four times

5346-558: The end of 2009, while seat capacity reached nearly 1.7 billion in 2018. LCCs accounted for 33% of intra-regional seat capacity in 2018 with 1.564 billion, up from 25% in 2008 with 753 million, and 13% of seat capacity between regions with 101 million, up from 6% in 2009 with 26 million. In 2018, penetration rate was 41% of seats within Europe, 36% within Latin America, 32% within North America, 29% within Asia Pacific, 17% within

5445-402: The family members would be: First generation (Series 10, Series 20, Series 30, Series 40, and Series 50), second generation (Series 81, Series 82, Series 83, Series 87, and Series 88), and third generation (Series 90 and Series 95). The Series 10 (DC-9-10) was the smallest family member and the Series 90 (MD-90) was the largest. The original DC-9 series was followed in 1980 by the introduction of

5544-524: The final DC-9-50 series first flew in 1974, stretched again by 8 ft (2.5 m) for 135 passengers. When deliveries ended in October 1982, 976 had been built. Smaller variants competed with the BAC One-Eleven , Fokker F28 , and Sud Aviation Caravelle , and larger ones with the original Boeing 737 . The original DC-9 was followed by the second generation in 1980, the MD-80 series, a lengthened DC-9-50 with

5643-443: The following aircraft: [REDACTED] Media related to Thai Smile at Wikimedia Commons Low-cost carrier A low-cost carrier ( LCC ) or low-cost airline , also called a budget , or discount carrier or airline , is an airline that is operated with an emphasis on minimizing operating costs. It sacrifices certain traditional airline luxuries for cheaper fares. To make up for revenue lost in decreased ticket prices,

5742-561: The following morning, and the longer flight times mean there is less scope to increase aircraft utilization as in short-haul. The business model is financially risky , and many companies have entered bankruptcy , like Laker Airways . In 2004, Irish Aer Lingus maintains a full service on transatlantic flights while it lowered its prices to compete with Ryanair on short haul. Late in 2004, Oasis Hong Kong Airlines offered London to Hong Kong flights from £199, and Canadian Zoom Airlines started selling transatlantic flights between

5841-401: The ground by using the larger aircraft services of established charter airlines. Among this group were the virtual airlines ; Direct Air , PeoplExpress , Western , and those that never began service such as JetAmerica . In Japan, low-cost airlines made major inroads into the market in 2012 when Peach , Jetstar Japan and AirAsia Japan began operations, each with financial sponsorship by

5940-422: The group's post-COVID reconstruction process by the end of 2023. Thai Smile was set to cease all operations on 31 December 2023. Thai Smile Airways was an official sponsor of Thai Honda Ladkrabang and Ratchaburi Mitr Phol . As of 2023, Thai Smile flew to the following destinations. The airline served only domestic destinations before ceasing operations on 31st December 2023.: As of 2023, THAI Smile operated

6039-522: The high customer demand for the DC-9 made the company attractive for either an acquisition or a merger; Douglas would merge with the American aerospace company McDonnell Aircraft to form McDonnell Douglas in 1967. The DC-9 family is one of the longest-lasting aircraft in production and operation. It was produced on the final assembly line in Long Beach, California , beginning in 1965, and later

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6138-508: The high-capacity, long-range DC-8 ( DC stands for Douglas Commercial ). The Model 2067 , a four-engined aircraft sized for medium-range routes was studied in depth, but work on it was abandoned after the proposal did not receive enough interest from airlines. In 1960, Douglas signed a two-year contract with the French aeronautics company Sud Aviation for technical cooperation; under the terms of this contract, Douglas would market and support

6237-660: The legacy carriers will force Long-haul LCCS to lose too much money and will continue to dominate. While Asian carriers like AirAsia X, Scoot , Cebu Pacific and Jetstar Airways are successful, the October 2018 demise of Primera Air and its $ 99 transatlantic flights illustrates the difficulties of the model, as the US World Airways will be relaunched in 2019. Norse Atlantic Airways was founded in 2021 and commenced operations in 2022, operating transatlantic flights as well as flights to Thailand beginning in 2023. McDonnell Douglas DC-9 The McDonnell Douglas DC-9

6336-712: The less complex aircraft fleets and route networks with which these new carriers began operations, in addition to their reduced labor costs. To combat the new round of low-cost and start-up entrants into the very competitive and deregulated United States airline industry, the mainline major carriers and network legacy carriers strategically developed no-frills divisions within the main airlines brand and corporate structures. Among these were Continental Lite , Delta Express , MetroJet , Shuttle by United , Song , and Ted . However, most of these "airlines within an airline" were short-lived and quickly disposed-of when economic rationalization or competitive pressures subsided. Taking

6435-485: The long run since they are extremely efficient in terms of fuel, training, maintenance, and crew costs per passenger. In 2013, ch-aviation published a study about the fleet strategy of low-cost carriers. They stated that major LCCs that order aircraft in large numbers get large discounts for doing so, and due to this they can sell their aircraft just a few years after delivery at a price high enough to keep their operating costs relatively low. Aircraft often operate with

6534-666: The low-cost carriers by enabling web check-in, encouraging machine check-in at the airport, and generally reducing ground personnel cost. The number of crew members follow international conventions that require one flight attendant per 50 passenger seats and two pilots. However, carriers can save money by reducing the amount of ground crew. Carriers hire pilots through third-party agencies based in low-tax countries without benefits for sick pay, pensions or health insurance. Traditional carriers have also started to try this, including starting their own low-tax agencies. These agencies can easily find less experienced co-pilots and cabin crew, as

6633-431: The more-powerful engines and improved wings of the -30 combined with the shorter fuselage used in the -10. Ten Series 20 aircraft were produced, all as the Model -21. The -21 had slats and stairs at the rear of plane. In 1969, a DC-9 Series 20 at Long Beach was fitted with an Elliott Flight Automation Head-up display by McDonnell Douglas and used for successful three-month-long trials with pilots from various airlines,

6732-485: The only airline transport class jet certified to date by the FAA for skydiving operations as of 2006. This is the last and only -21 series still airworthy, and after being out of service for over a decade, it returned to the sky on May 7th, 2024 During the mid 1990s, Northwest Airlines was the largest operator of the type in the world, flying 180 DC-9s. After its acquisition of Northwest Airlines, Delta Air Lines operated

6831-407: The onset of its development, the DC-9 had been intended to be available in multiple versions to suit varying customer requirements; the first stretched version, the Series 30, with a longer fuselage and extended wing tips, flew on August 1, 1966, entering service with Eastern Air Lines in 1967. The initial Series 10 was followed by the improved -20 , -30 , and -40 variants. The final DC-9 series

6930-424: The original leading-edge slat design to achieve lower drag . The flight test program proceeded at a rapid pace; the initial Series 10 received airworthiness certification from the Federal Aviation Administration on November 23, 1965, permitting it to enter service with Delta Air Lines on December 8. Through the DC-9, Douglas had beaten rival company Boeing and their 737 to enter the short-haul jet market,

7029-637: The original DC-9 series. The MD-80 series includes the MD-81, MD-82, MD-83, MD-88, and shortest variant, the MD-87. The MD-80 series was further developed into the third generation, the MD-90 series, in the early 1990s. It has yet another fuselage stretch, an electronic flight instrument system (first introduced on the MD-88), and completely new International Aero V2500 high-bypass turbofan engines . In comparison to

7128-454: The original or first generation DC-9 series used the new designation with McDonnell Douglas initials (MD- prefix) followed by the year of development. The first derivative or second generation was the MD-80 series and the second derivative or third generation was the MD-90 series . Together, they formed the DC-9 family of 12 aircraft members (variants), and if the DC-9- designation were retained,

7227-542: The possibility of replacing engines on the DC-9 with the JT8D-109 turbofan, a quieter and more efficient variant of the JT8D. This progressed to the flight-test stage, and tests achieved noise reduction between 8 and 9 decibels depending on the phase of flight. No further aircraft were modified, and the test aircraft was re-equipped with standard JT8D-9s prior to delivery to its airline customer. Two further developments of

7326-424: The post– Vietnam War era did this business model escalate. Through various ticket consolidators, charter airlines , and innovators in lower-frills flying, such as Channel Airways and Court Line , the traveling public had been conditioned to want to travel to new and increasingly further away and exotic locations on vacation, rather than short-haul trips to nearby beach resorts. The world's first low-cost airline

7425-868: The profession is popular, but there are problems for low-cost carriers to recruit and keep captains who have to be experienced. At IATA , a LCC operation is defined as including the following characteristics, at least to some degree: While low-cost airlines differ in service offerings, by definition they feature most of the following: Not every low-cost carrier implements all of the above points. For example, some try to differentiate themselves with allocated seating, while others operate more than one aircraft type, still others have relatively high operating costs but lower fares. JetBlue , for instance, has in-flight entertainment in every passenger seat. Other airlines are limited on what points they can implement based on local laws. For example, Irish low cost airlines cannot remove window blinds from its aircraft, as they are required by

7524-498: The same route. From 28 June 2007, a second long-haul route to Vancouver, British Columbia , was started. The company ceased operations on 9 April 2008, after over a billion Hong Kong dollars in losses. On 2 November 2007, AirAsia X , a subsidiary of AirAsia and Virgin Group flew its inaugural flight from Kuala Lumpur , Malaysia, to Gold Coast , Australia. AirAsia X claims that it is the first true low-cost long-haul carrier since

7623-528: The second generation of the DC-9 family, the MD-80 series. This was originally called the DC-9-80 (short Series 80 and later stylized Super 80). It was a lengthened DC-9-50 with a higher maximum takeoff weight (MTOW), a larger wing , new main landing gear , and higher fuel capacity. The MD-80 series features a number of variants of the JT8D turbofan engine that had higher thrust ratings than those available on

7722-403: The second half of 2013 after Boeing resumed deliveries following extensive problems and delays. It served direct routes from the United States ( Los Angeles , Fort Lauderdale , New York City , Oakland-San Francisco , Boston and Orlando ) into Scandinavia ( Oslo , Stockholm , Copenhagen ). In January 2021 Norwegian announced the immediate cessation of their long-haul operations, along with

7821-426: The second variant, Series 20, has one version (Series 21); the third variant, Series 30, has four versions (Series 31, Series 32, Series 33 and Series 34); the fourth variant, Series 40, has one version (Series 41); and the fifth or final variant, Series 50, has one version (Series 51). The original DC-9 (later designated the Series 10) was the smallest DC-9 variant. The -10 was 104.4 ft (31.8 m) long and had

7920-423: The series 50. It was also applied to many earlier DC-9s in the course of regular maintenance. As of May 2024, a total of 30 DC-9 series aircraft remain in service, of which 20 are operated by Aeronaves TSM and two passenger aircraft in service with African Express Airways , and the rest in cargo service. With the existing DC-9 fleet shrinking, modifications do not appear to be likely to occur, especially since

8019-438: The structure associated with the slat is a more efficient torque box than the structure associated with the slotted Krueger. The wing had a six-percent increase in chord, all ahead of the front spar, allowing the 15 percent chord slat to be incorporated. The Series 30 was built in four main sub-variants. The DC-9-30 was offered with a selection of variants of JT8D including the -1, -7, -9, -11, -15. and -17. The most common on

8118-400: The tail-mounted engines was the reduction in foreign object damage from ingested debris from runways and aprons, but with this position, the engines could ingest ice streaming off the wing roots. The third was the absence of engines in underslung pods, which permitted a reduction in fuselage ground clearance, making the airliner more accessible to baggage handlers and passengers. The cockpit of

8217-449: The use of leading-edge high-lift devices. Therefore, the wing design of the Series 10 featured airfoils with extremely high maximum-lift capability to obtain the low stalling speeds necessary for short-field performance. The Series 10 has an overall length of 104.4 feet (31.82 m), a fuselage length of 92.1 feet (28.07 m), a passenger-cabin length of 60 feet (18.29 m), and a wingspan of 89.4 feet (27.25 m). The Series 10

8316-503: The very successful MD-80, relatively few MD-90s were built. The shorter and final variant, the MD-95, was renamed the Boeing 717 after McDonnell Douglas's merger with Boeing in 1997 and before aircraft deliveries began. The fuselage length and wing are very similar to those of the DC-9-30, but much use was made of lighter, modern materials. Power is supplied by two BMW/Rolls-Royce BR715 high-bypass turbofan engines. China's Comac ARJ21

8415-409: The wing at its own financial cost in return for promises on prospective future production orders. The pace of development on the program was rapid. The first DC-9, a production model, flew on February 25, 1965. The second DC-9 flew a few weeks later, with a test fleet of five aircraft flying by July. Several key refinements to the aircraft were made during flight testing, such as the replacement of

8514-511: The wing design makes retrofitting difficult. DC-9s are therefore likely to be further replaced in service by newer airliners such as Boeing 737 , Airbus A320 , Embraer E-Jets , and the Airbus A220 . However one former Scandinavian Airlines DC-9-21 is operated as a skydiving jump platform at Perris Valley Airport in Perris, California . With the steps on the ventral stairs removed, it is

8613-523: Was Bill Clinton , later US President. The first airline offering no-frills transatlantic service was Freddie Laker 's Laker Airways , which operated its famous "Skytrain" service between London and New York City during the late 1970s. The service was suspended after Laker's competitors, British Airways and Pan Am , were able to price Skytrain out of the market. In the United States, airline carriers such as Midway Airlines and America West Airlines , which commenced operations after 1978, soon realized

8712-494: Was Pacific Southwest Airlines , which started intrastate flights connecting Southern and Northern California on 6 May 1949. PSA's light-hearted atmosphere and efficient operations were a runaway success early on, and inspired a number of low-cost start-ups across the United States, beginning in the mid-1960s. Herb Kelleher studied the success of PSA, and copied their culture closely when he established Southwest Airlines in 1971. The first airline to offer cheaper transatlantic fares

8811-499: Was Icelandic airline Loftleiðir in 1964, often referred to as "the Hippie Airline". Many young Americans travelled to Europe after graduation, to experience the "old-world culture", and they were more concerned with getting there cheaply than comfortably or even exactly on time. Loftleiðir were not famous for speed or punctuality, but flying with the company became a sort of rite of passage for those young "hippies", one of whom

8910-545: Was chosen from a pool of 2,229 entries in a contest to name the airline. According to an official at Thai Airways, THAI Smile was planned to begin showing an annual profit of about five million baht within two years of the start of operations. In February 2023, it was reported that Thai Smile would be dissolved as a separate entity and merged with its parent company, Thai Airways International , by mid-2024 in an effort to reduce losses. On 18 May 2023, Thai Airways announced that Thai Smile would be merged into its parent as part of

9009-415: Was increased to 98,000 lb (44,000 kg), eight percent more than on the higher weight Series 14s and 15s. The aircraft's MLW is 95,300 lb (43,200 kg) and MZFW is 84,000 lb (38,000 kg). Typical range with maximum payload is 1,000 nmi (1,900 km; 1,200 mi), increasing to 1,450 nmi (2,690 km; 1,670 mi) with maximum fuel. The Series 20, using the same wing as

9108-440: Was limited to 80,000 lb (36,300 kg) for a two-person flight crew by the then-Federal Aviation Agency regulations at the time. The commercial passenger aircraft have five abreast layout for economy seating that can accommodate 80 to 135 passengers, depending on version and seating arrangement. Turnarounds were simplified by built-in airstairs, including one in the tail, which shortened boarding and deplaning times. The DC-9

9207-506: Was offered with the 14,000 lbf (62 kN)-thrust JT8D-1 and JT8D-7. All versions of the DC-9 are equipped with an AlliedSignal (Garrett) GTCP85 APU, located in the aft fuselage. The Series 10, as with all later versions of the DC-9, is equipped with a two-crew analog flightdeck. The Series 14 was originally certificated with an MTOW of 85,700 lb (38,900 kg), but subsequent options offered increases to 86,300 and 90,700 lb (41,100 kg). The aircraft's MLW in all cases

9306-981: Was on a common line with the second generation of the DC-9 family, the MD-80 , with which it shares its line number sequence. Following the delivery of 976 DC-9s and 108 MD-80s, McDonnell Douglas stopped series production of the DC-9 in December 1982. The last member of the DC-9 family, the Boeing 717, was produced until 2006. The DC-9 family was produced in total 2441 units: 976 DC-9s (first generation), 1191 MD-80s (second generation), 116 MD-90s, and 155 Boeing 717s (third generation). This compared to 2,970 Airbus A320s and 5,270 Boeing 737s delivered as of 2006. Studies aimed at further improving DC-9 fuel efficiency , by means of retrofitted wingtips of various types, were undertaken by McDonnell Douglas, but these did not demonstrate significant benefits, especially with existing fleets shrinking. The wing design makes retrofitting difficult. Between 1973 and 1975, McDonnell Douglas studied

9405-601: Was originally designed to perform a maximum of 40,000 landings. The DC-9 has two rear-mounted JT8D turbofan engines, relatively small, efficient wings, and a T-tail . The tail-mounted engine design facilitated a clean wing without engine pods, which had numerous advantages. First, the flaps could be longer, unimpeded by pods on the leading edge and engine-blast concerns on the trailing edge. This simplified design improved airflow at low speeds and enabled lower takeoff and approach speeds, thus lowering field length requirements and keeping wing structure light. The second advantage of

9504-451: Was produced between 1965 and 2006 with a total delivery of 2441 units: 976 DC-9s, 1191 MD-80s, 116 MD-90s, and 155 Boeing 717s. As of August 2022, 250 aircraft remain in service: 31 DC-9s (freighter), 116 MD-80s (mainly freighter), and 103 Boeing 717s (passenger), while the MD-90 was retired without freighter conversion. During the late 1950s, Douglas Aircraft studied a short- to medium-range airliner to complement their then-sole jetliner ,

9603-418: Was the -50 , which first flew in 1974. The DC-9 series, the first generation of the DC-9 family, would become a long term commercial success for the manufacturer. However, early production of the type had come at a higher unit cost than had been anticipated, leading to DC-9s being sold at a loss. The unfavorable early economics of the type negatively impacted Douglas, pushing it into fiscal hardship. However,

9702-434: Was the largest version of the DC-9 to enter airline service. It features an 8 ft 2 in (2.49 m) fuselage stretch and seats up to 139 passengers. It entered revenue service in August 1975 with Eastern Airlines and included a number of detail improvements, a new cabin interior, and more powerful JT8D-15 or -17 engines in the 16,000 and 16,500 lbf (71 and 73 kN) class. McDonnell Douglas delivered 96, all as

9801-544: Was typically 110,000 lb (50,000 kg). Engines for Models -31, -32, -33, and -34 included the P&;W JT8D-7 and JT8D-9 rated at 14,500 lbf (64 kN) of thrust, or JT8D-11 with 15,000 lbf (67 kN). Unlike the Series 10, the Series 30 had leading-edge devices to reduce the landing speeds at higher landing weights; full-span slats reduced approach speeds by six knots despite 5,000 lb greater weight. The slats were lighter than slotted Krueger flaps , since

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