Bloomberg After a five-year austerity drive, Thai Airways International Pcl is ready to expand again. The carrier plans to add routes and buy new, more fuel-efficient aircraft to replace aging jets, President Charamporn Jotikasthira said in an interview in Bangkok. The airline, which last ordered planes in 2011, is drawing up a 10-year plan through 2027 that will include …

  Bloomberg Cathay Pacific Airways Ltd., Asia’s biggest international carrier, says it’s getting tougher to find premium fliers from Hong Kong. The lack of first and business-class travelers from the Asian financial center — the worst since the global financial crisis days of 2009 — is such a dent on Cathay’s financials that analysts are asking whether Chief Executive Officer …

  Bloomberg Chinese airlines need to hire almost 100 pilots a week for the next 20 years to meet skyrocketing travel demand. Facing a shortage of candidates at home, carriers are dangling lucrative pay packages at foreigners with cockpit experience. Giacomo Palombo, a former United Airlines pilot, said he’s being bombarded every week with offers to fly Airbus A320s in …