Thai Airways International fleet explained

Thai Airways International operates a fleet of wide-body and narrow-body aircraft from Airbus and Boeing.[1]

Current fleet

List

, Thai Airways International operates the following aircraft:

AircraftIn ServiceOrdersPassengersNotes
FCY+YTotal
20 - - - 12156168To be retrofitted into a 156-seat configuration with Royal Silk Class by the end of 2024.[2]
162174
- 32TBADeliveries planned from 2025.[3] [4]
5 - - 31 - 263294Two aircraft were acquired from Virgin Atlantic.[5]
48185264
23 - - 32 - 289321HS-THQ and HS-THU painted in the Star Alliance livery.[6]
33301334
30309339
5 - - 30 - 262292Two aircraft are to be phased out by 2025.[7]
17 - 840 - 255303Deliveries planned from 2025.To be retrofitted with new Royal Silk and Economy cabins, with the addition of Economy Plus seats.[8] [9] [10]
- 42 - 306348
6 - - 24 - 240264
350 - 30 - 262292Deliveries planned from Q2 2024.
The order includes 35 options to switch type to either Boeing 777X or Boeing 787-10.[11]
268298
Total7988

Gallery

Fleet development plans

THAI's fleet development plans, as of December 2011,[12] for the period 2012–2022 is in three phases:

On 13 June 2011, Thai's Board of Directors announced it would purchase 15 aircraft and acquire the remaining 22 on operating leases. The purchased planes include 14 Boeing 777-300ERs, to be delivered in 2014 and 2015, and four Airbus A350-900s (2016 and 2017). The leased planes include six 787-8s and two 787-9s from US lessor International Lease Finance (ILFC). The 8 series will be delivered in 2014 and 2015, while the 9 will be delivered in 2017. In addition, Thai will lease six A350-900s from Aviation Lease and Finance, to be delivered in 2017, and two A350-900s from CIT Aerospace International, which will deliver the aircraft in 2016. The airline will also lease six A320-200s from RBS Aerospace International, to be delivered in 2012 and 2013. All the operating leases have terms of 12 years each.[13] [14]

On 20 January 2016, Thai Airways International PCL announced plans to postpone the delivery of 14 planes for three years to reduce operating costs as the national airline restructured. The 14 planes include 12 Airbus A350s, two of which were due to be delivered in 2016, and two Boeing 787s.[15]

On 12 February 2016, Thai Airways announced it would continue to ground 10 Airbus A340s it had not been able to sell because flying the four-engine planes is not cost-effective, even after fuel prices plunged more than 40 percent in the previous year. Besides trying to offload the planes, used previously for long-haul destinations such as Frankfurt, the money-losing airline has cut routes and sold assets to bolster its balance sheet and operations.[16]

In 2017, Thai took delivery of seven new aircraft and decommissioned two leased Airbus A330-300s bringing its active fleet to 100 as of 31 December 2017.[17]

On 2 March 2021, Thai Airways submitted its rehabilitation plan to the Central Bankruptcy Court, followed by a press conference. Announced plans for the future of the airline including its fleet adjustments, reducing the number of aircraft types from 12 to five (or engine types from nine to four).

On 2 January 2024, Thai airways signed a lease agreement with CDB Aviation for two-used Airbus A330-300.[18]

On 20 February 2024, Thai Airways announced an order for forty-five Boeing 787-9s directly from Boeing along with additional options for a further 45 aircraft. Additional options include orders for the Boeing 777X, as the airline looks to modernise and grow its widebody fleet and international network. Thai Airways Boeing 787-9s will be equipped with GEnx engines.[19]

On 21 February 2024, at the Singapore Airshow, Thai Airways announced an aircraft lease agreement with AerCap, comprising four Airbus A350-900s (two of which have been delivered), three Boeing 787-9s, and ten Airbus A321neo.[20]

On 27 February 2024, Thai Airways signed a lease agreement with Air Lease Corporation for three Boeing 787-9s.[21]

Remarks

Former fleet

Aircraft!style="background:Indigo;"
TotalYear IntroducedYear RetiredReplacementNotes
ATR 42-300219901998
ATR 72-200219902009Transferred to Nok Air.
Airbus A300B41319771998Airbus A300-600R
Airbus A300-600R2119852014Airbus A320-200
Airbus A330-300
Boeing 787-8
Airbus A310-200219882001Airbus A300-600RTransferred from Thai Airways Company.HS-TIC crashed as flight TG261.
1998
Airbus A310-300219901993Airbus A300-600RAcquired from Canadian Airlines.HS-TID crashed as flight TG311
1992
Airbus A330-3001119942017Airbus A350-900Equipped with Pratt & Whitney PW4000.One aircraft crashed before the delivery as Airbus Industrie Flight 129.
12[22] 20092020Equipped with Rolls-Royce Trent 700.
Early retirement due to COVID-19 pandemic.
119952013HS-TEF was written off due to a runway excursion.[23]
Airbus A340-500320052012Airbus A350-900All aircraft are listed for sale.
1HS-TLC was sold to Royal Thai Air Force.[24]
Airbus A340-600620052015Disposed to Hua An Aviation Parts Co. Ltd.
Airbus A380-800620122020Early retirement due to COVID-19 pandemic.[25]
All six aircraft are to be sold off.
BAe 146-100119891991Boeing 737 Classic
BAe 146-200119891989
BAe 146-300919891998
Boeing 737-200319881993Boeing 737-400Transferred from Thai Airways Company.
Boeing 737-400619902018Airbus A320-200
32004Transferred to Nok Air.
12001Destroyed by explosion as flight TG114
Boeing 747-200B619791997Boeing 747-400
Boeing 747-200F119961999Boeing 777F
Boeing 747-300219872007Boeing 747-400
Boeing 747-4001619902020Airbus A350-900
Boeing 777-300ER
Early retirement due to COVID-19 pandemic.
22011Converted into freighters and transferred to Thai Cargo.
Boeing 747-400BCF220122015Converted from passenger Boeing 747-400
Disposed to Aerotranscargo
Boeing 777-200819962020Airbus A350-900
Boeing 777-300ER
Early retirement due to COVID-19 pandemic.
Boeing 777-200ER120062020
Boeing 777-300619982020
Boeing 777-300ER520102013Airbus A350-900Leased from Jet Airways.
Boeing 777F220102012Boeing 747-400BCFLeased from Southern Air.
Canadair Challenger CL-601-3A-ER11991
Convair 990 Coronado21962Operated by Scandinavian Airlines.
Douglas DC-6B719601964First aircraft in fleet.
Leased from Scandinavian Airlines.
Douglas DC-8-33719701978Leased from International Airlease AB.
Douglas DC-8-62619721984Leased from Scandinavian Airlines.
Douglas DC-8-63419741985Airbus A300B4
Douglas DC-8-61CF219771979Leased from Seaboard World Airlines.
McDonnell Douglas DC-9-41319701972Leased from Scandinavian Airlines.
McDonnell Douglas DC-10-30619751987Airbus A310
McDonnell Douglas DC-10-30ER319871998Airbus A310Disposed to Northwest Airlines.
McDonnell Douglas MD-11419912006Boeing 777-200ERDisposed to UPS Airlines.
Short 330419881992Boeing 737 ClassicTransferred from Thai Airways Company.
Short 36021988
Sud Aviation SE-210 Caravelle III1519641968Leased from Scandinavian Airlines.

External links

Notes and References

  1. Web site: AIRCRAFT . Thai Airways International Public Company Limited (THAI). . 2020-01-12 . https://web.archive.org/web/20200109212942/https://www.thaiairways.com/en_TH/experience_my_thai/our_aircraft/aircraft/index.page . 2020-01-09 . live .
  2. Web site: 5 February 2024. Thai Airways to retrofit A320s with Royal Silk Class. airwaysmag.com.
  3. Web site: 27 June 2023. Thai Airways to issue RFP for widebodies, confirms A321neo. ch-aviation.com. en-US.
  4. Web site: Singapore Airshow: Thai Airways to lease 17 AerCap aircraft. airwaysmag.com. 21 February 2024.
  5. Web site: 3 January 2024. Thai Airways to grow A330-300 fleet. businesstraveller.com.
  6. Web site: 21 February 2024 . Singapore Airshow: Thai Airways to lease 17 AerCap aircraft . airwaysmag.com.
  7. Web site: 23 August 2024. Thai airlines eye fleet expansion as aviation industry bounces back. 23 August 2024. nationthailand.com.
  8. Web site: Thai Airways to Reintroduce Premium Economy . 2024-11-07 . Y Premium.
  9. Web site: THAI's (Re)Launch of Its Premium Economy Class . 2024-11-07 . airwaysmag.com.
  10. Web site: 2024-10-11 . Thai Airways to relaunch premium economy; is it coming to Australia? . 2024-11-07 . karryon.com.au . en-AU.
  11. Web site: 8 February 2023 . Thai Airways orders 45 Boeing 787s plus options . reuters.com.
  12. Web site: TG 3Q2011 Analyst Briefing Presentation . thai.listedcompany.com . 2011-12-27 . https://web.archive.org/web/20120422032827/http://thai.listedcompany.com/misc/presentations/20111124_THAI_analystBriefing3Q2011-EN.pdf . 2012-04-22 . live .
  13. Web site: Thai to acquire eight 787s and 12 A350s in 37-aircraft deal . FlightGlobal.com . 2011-06-13 . https://web.archive.org/web/20110616130726/http://www.flightglobal.com/articles/2011/06/13/357880/thai-to-acquire-eight-787s-and-12-a350s-in-37-aircraft.html . 2011-06-16 . live .
  14. Web site: Acquisition of 37 New Aircraft for the year 2011-2017 . thai.listedcompany.com . 2011-06-13 . https://web.archive.org/web/20110616232634/http://thai.listedcompany.com/newsroom/2011-06-13_THAI_EN.pdf . 2011-06-16 . live .
  15. News: UPDATE 1-Thai Airways to delay taking delivery of 14 planes to cut costs. Reuters. 2016-01-20. 2016-02-12. https://web.archive.org/web/20160216111231/http://www.reuters.com/article/thai-airways-planes-idUSL3N1543XA. 2016-02-16. live.
  16. News: Without A Buyer, Thai Air's A340 Fleet Will Stay Grounded. Bloomberg.com. 2016-02-12. Anuchit. Nguyen. 12 February 2016 . https://web.archive.org/web/20160212182128/http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2016-02-12/no-a340-buyers-so-thai-air-grounds-planes-even-with-cheap-oil. 2016-02-12. live.
  17. Web site: Submission of financial statements for the year ended December 31 2017 . Stock Exchange of Thailand . 21 September 2018 . 26 February 2018 . https://web.archive.org/web/20180304055356/http://thai.listedcompany.com/newsroom/260220181754000815E.pdf . 4 March 2018 . live .
  18. Web site: Editor . C. D. B. . 2024-01-02 . CDB Aviation Leases Two A330-300s to Thai Airways . 2024-10-26 . CDB Aviation . en-US.
  19. Web site: 21 Feb 2024 . THAI AIRWAYS ORDERS 45 787S .
  20. Web site: 2024-02-21 . AerCap Announces Lease Agreements with Thai Airways for Four Airbus A350-900 Aircraft, Three Boeing 787-9 Aircraft and Ten Airbus A321NEO Aircraft . 2024-11-07 . AerCap Holdings N.V. . en.
  21. Web site: Inc . Digital Studios West . Air Lease Corporation Announces Lease Placement of Three New Boeing 787 Aircraft with Thai Airways International . 2024-11-07 . Air Lease Corporation . en.
  22. News: . THAI sells more planes . Bangkok Post . 21 September 2021 . Bangkok . 21 September 2021.
  23. Web site: Runway excursion Accident Airbus A330-321 HS-TEF, Sunday 8 September 2013 . 2024-07-02 . asn.flightsafety.org.
  24. Web site: ซื้อเครื่องบิน AIRBUS A340-500 (HS-TLC) พร้อมเครื่องยนต์และอุปกรณ์ . 2024-07-02 . www94.rtaf.mi.th.
  25. Web site: Thai Airways puts more aircraft up for sale including A380s. Ch-Aviation. 15 December 2020.