Walk through the Thai Airways cafe made from plane parts
Walk through the Thai Airways cafe made from plane parts

Debt-ridden Thai Airways has opened a cafe made from spare plane parts to try and balance the books.

The ailing flag carrier - which lost 383 million dollars in 2019 - hopes selling in-flight meals and coffee will bring in a cash boost.

Its new aviation themed cafe has its air hostess working as waitresses, seats and tables made from airplane spare parts and chefs serve the airline's food.

Even the grounded pilots have been set to work welcoming customers.

Thai Airways Catering Managing Director Varangkana Luerojvong said that spare parts from engines, windows and fan blades were used as furniture.

One feature is a painted rubber wheel surrounded by bean bags.

Varangkana said the cafe serves around 2,000 meals per day and would ''recoup some lost revenue during the coronavirus pandemic''.

The cafe is at the firm's headquarters in Bangkok, where the government army chiefs who run the notoriously corrupt airline - allegedly known for kickbacks, jaw-dropping financial black holes and free rides for cronies - are trying to stave off bankruptcy.

Thailand has stopped all commercial flights in line with government rules to prevent coronavirus infections - adding to the carrier's losses.

In May, a court granted the airline bankruptcy protection and is set to rule on its business restructuring plan later this month.

It will rule on the case on September 14.

Creditors from around the world are chasing the airline for repayments as Covid-19 accelerates its nose dive into the red.

While last week, a panel chaired by the country's deputy transport minister found mismanagement linked to dozens of executives and corruption have led to the downfall of Thai Airways International Plc.

The minister claimed to have evidence of bribes worth hundreds of millions of dollars paid to politicians, officials and airline executives in connection with the purchases of new planes, according to local newspaper, the Bangkok Post.

There has also allegedly been an endemic fraud throughout the airline with staff inflating overtime to bleed the state-funded airline.

Thai Airways made losses of more than 12 billion baht (383 million USD) in 2019.

The airline lost money in every year but one since 2013 and now has outstanding debt of 250 billion baht.