5 hours ago, DFPhuket said:

Perhaps there is someone in Thailand who travels back and forth to Europe frequently and demands a first-class cabin? That might explain the purchase of new planes while Thai remains in bankruptcy and has other 777's sitting on the ground. 

The OP did mention the BKK-LHR route....  no mention of MUC.....

4 hours ago, orchidfan said:

How would the "high spending folks" know one Airbus from another (except the A380) ?

My wife came back on thai on an A350~900. That is both new and nice. 

And A300~ER...?? Give me a break!

As for "rotting"? Some people know nothing about aviation.....especially the many hundreds of aircraft being stored outdoors in deserted locations all around the world.

Most will be airworthy quickly if needed. 

So you think Thai leased 3 Airbus aircraft called A300-ER which are not new lol

 

It's 3 Boeing B777-300-ER which are in fact brand new planes delivered from Seattle.

 

Also, your reference to aircraft being stored outdoors in desert locations is correct, however Thai Airways didn't do that, they left them outdoors at Bangkok airport

These are a long range, or ER, Extended Range 2 engine aircraft that are far

cheaper to operate than the 4 engine A380.  Good move for Thai Air.  Maybe they have finally

gotten rid of the many high level positions in the Airline during the pandemic, as the company

certainly would not need all of those high paid people, while no one was flying anywhere.

One can only hope.

By all accounts, Thai Airways is bankrupt with something like 10+ billion USD (ten billion American Dollars) in the red. Before breaking the news, they "privatized" the airline. 

Over the last 30 years, ever since the forced retirement of previous chairman Chatichai Bunya-ananta and the rest of real aviation professionals like Captain Yothin, Nils Lumholdt etc. the airline flew only downwards.

An interesting comparison, I overheard was, that Thai Airways is like a 7/11 without cashier on the way out = everybody can help themselves. Well, something has to feed no less than 43 Vice Presidents ........

You find defunct aircraft littered all over Thailand, be it stored in U-tapao or other provincial airports or a decorative element at the Terminal 21 in Pattaya (B737) or Chic Chic Nong Khai (B747), along Sukhaphiban Road (B747) etc. etc. The rest of most of the fleet is in Mojave - parked indefinitely and not gone but definitely forgotten! 

How does a lessor ensure, that the leased B777, state-of-the-air, less than one week in Thailand with its paint still wet, will see the agreed leasing fees? 

It is proven beyond any doubt that the successive boards of this airline over the last decades had everything in mind except running a professional and profitable airline

Given Thai Airways "understanding" of network is shown on its official route map  (Paris, Rom and Madrid spring to mind) and the inflight service, well, ........ must be "Weight Watchers Delight". Their customer service is not reachable by phone and visiting the counter reveals "out of order". 

Does the addition of three B777 with first class configuration bring back all those millions of passengers, who - like I - just had it and will fly anything but Thai Airways? Seriously doubt it.

Another interesting graphic interpretation of how Thai Airways is run .......... 
 

In closing, the LCC "Thai Vietjet Air" operated upto four flights between BKK Bangkok-Suvannaphoum  and UTH Udon Thani; most of them with a load factor of more than 90% while Thai Airways and its associates were all parked solidly on the ground during the height of Covid.

Their year-end closing 2021 comments were, as per Thai Vietjet Air, a black Zero which I find a remarkable result and proof of professional management and staff trying all to get through.

All the while Thai's decision of self-grounding by their board seem to have gone pretty unnoticed - while the only savings was the kerosene they did not use ???? But it seems that selling retired airline seats can flush in 55 billion Baht (if my memory serves me right) during the last year. 

Not flying pays! 

 

A third 777-300ER, HS-TTC is due soon as well.

 

I think TG committed to lease these three aircraft back in 2018.

 

The airframes had been completed for a while, and were in storage.

 

HS-TTA, PAE-BKK on 5 April.

 

https://www.flightradar24.com/data/aircraft/hs-tta#2b654701

 

 

I think TG intends to operate the first two on BKK-LHR as TG910/911.

 

 

HS-TTA   ALONGKORN

HS-TTB  THEPARAT

HS-TTC  SIMONGKHON

 

https://th.wikipedia.org/wiki/รายชื่อเครื่องบินของการบินไทย

 

Edited April 9, 20224 yr by mtls2005

We need extra flights on the SYDNEY/BKK route!

Alternatively, resurrect the A380's and use them on the existing schedule.

 

EMIRATES used A380's previously on the SYD to BKK route until mid 2019.

With half the flight spent in the Business Class bar you're at your destination in no time. (and the airfare for Emirates Business was AUD 1,200 cheaper than TG at the time).

 

The TG Bankrupcy was probably a godsend...  otherwise they'd probably still be using their antiquated 747's.

 

 

On 4/8/2022 at 10:21 PM, bangon04 said:

The OP did mention the BKK-LHR route....  no mention of MUC.....

Two aircraft cycling to and from the UK, the third " kept spare in case it is needed"?

1 hour ago, herfiehandbag said:

the third " kept spare in case it is needed"?

I think HS-TTC will be used on a daily route which can be operated with a single aircraft, with a potential F/P traffic. An 8-ish hour flight max. Then it could be subbed as TG 924/925 "as needed".

 

I think all three might start off on shorter trial runs, even BKK-HKT/CNX; that's what's been done in the past.

 

 

On 4/8/2022 at 1:39 PM, JoePai said:

Why not use one of their 'parked' 777's - or even an A380 if (as they say) the demand is there ?

You'll probably find the answer to that here.

 

https://onemileatatime.com/news/thai-airways-new-777/

 

Edited April 11, 20224 yr by Moonlover

On 4/8/2022 at 3:42 PM, orchidfan said:

How would the "high spending folks" know one Airbus from another (except the A380) ?

My wife came back on thai on an A350~900. That is both new and nice. 

And A300~ER...?? Give me a break!

As for "rotting"? Some people know nothing about aviation.....especially the many hundreds of aircraft being stored outdoors in deserted locations all around the world.

Most will be airworthy quickly if needed. 

Not if they are deserted......????

15 minutes ago, zhemna said:

I think they may be replacing the aircraft they lost during bankruptcy proceedings when covid took off.

perhaps bankruptcy wasn't entirely inconvenient....

With Thai Airways getting rid of the A380, B747, A340 and A330, the fleet has been streamlined to only 3 aircraft types.

 

It now has 20 of the latest A350 (12) and B787 (8) and 23 B777's, of which there are 6 of the older B777-200 (with 2 of them parked). I can see these 6 200's leaving the fleet to further simplify and modernise the fleet

 

https://www.airfleets.net/flottecie/Thai Airways.htm

 

Edited April 13, 20224 yr by aussiexpat

On 4/8/2022 at 2:51 PM, aussiexpat said:

The leases for the three brand new B777 were arranged in 2018 and finalized in 2020. So business as usual complying with contractual agreements.

 

These are the first B777 with first class seating, so chasing those 8 quality tourists ????

 

https://www.airfinancejournal.com/articles/3581522/exclusive-boc-aviation-agrees-777-300er-leases

 

Provided that Thai Nationals are willing to travel to London considering the current situation I don't expect much problem finding passengers for 8 first class seats, paid for or not paid for when flights commence on 27 April 2022. Hope to try the first class on a flight later this year to another destination.

45 minutes ago, rimmae2 said:

Hope to try the first class on a flight later this year to another destination.

On TG? To which destination?

 

AFAIK TG is not retrofitting any existing aircraft with F seats/service.

 

So it's LHR, or wherever HS-TTC (due here by the end of this month) flies...

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5A3HwAgTQ5s

 

 

1 hour ago, mtls2005 said:

On TG? To which destination?

 

AFAIK TG is not retrofitting any existing aircraft with F seats/service.

 

So it's LHR, or wherever HS-TTC (due here by the end of this month) flies...

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5A3HwAgTQ5s

 

 

I saw something on Flyertalk TG that 2 aircraft delivered already on 6th April and one more due, with proposed routes to Tokyo and Sydney. Not official, but I have other information from a friend who works for TG in BC. If so then 1st stop Tokyo when permitted.

My mate went home yesterday to LHR on the FIRST commercial flight of one of the new 777s, was also announced by the Captain.

 

Says it even smelt new!