THAI to Finalize Deal to Buy 30 New Aircraft

[webfact]

    
BANGKOK (NNT) - Thai Airways (THAI) aims to finalize a deal to buy at least 30 new aircraft by the end of the year and could double its fleet of narrow-body jets over the next decade, according to its chief executive.

 

THAI CEO Chai Eamsiri said in an interview with Reuters at the airline’s headquarters in Bangkok that the airline will issue a ’request for proposal’ to Airbus and Boeing to buy 30 wide-body and an undisclosed number of narrow-body aircraft next week.

 

The carrier is looking to cash in on a post-pandemic travel boom by bolstering regional routes, but there have been concerns over whether planemakers Airbus and Boeing will be able to ramp up output to meet delivery targets.

 

Chai said THAI, which began bankruptcy protected restructuring of debt worth 400 billion baht (US$11.17 billion) in 2021, currently has a fleet of 20 Airbus A320 aircraft and has secured a dozen new A321neo on lease for delivery in 2025 and 2026.

 

These aircraft would be deployed to serve destinations in Southeast Asia, India, southern China and southern Japan - key medium-haul routes that THAI wants to reinforce.

 

Chai noted that the carrier’s wide-body fleet will also increase from 45 currently to 56 aircraft by the first quarter of next year, with the additional jets coming on dry lease contracts, which typically do not include crew.

 

"That’s for the short term," according to Chai, who added that the aircraft will be used on long-distance intercontinental routes to Australia and Europe that have seen a strong recovery since the pandemic.

 

THAI’s cabin factor - the percentage of seats sold - was at about 84% in the last quarter and the CEO said advance bookings from markets like Europe were looking "promising".

 

Chai, a former Thai Airways chief financial officer who took over as CEO last November, said the airline’s pandemic-driven restructuring plan was on track and it would relist on the stock market by the first quarter of 2025.

 

by Paul Rujopakarn

 

#news

Source: https://thainews.prd.go.th/en/news/detail/TCATG230628092004833

 

-- © Copyright NNT 2023-06-28

 

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[jacko45k]

From rags to riches..... the parasites will be circling again!

[2baht]

Well, what a success story! ????

[JoePai]

There are many planes parked up at Swampy doing nothing - can they not use those and save a bit of money ?

[h90]

14 minutes ago, JoePai said:

There are many planes parked up at Swampy doing nothing - can they not use those and save a bit of money ?

most probably old and running costs are too high....and there would be no commission

[h90]

27 minutes ago, jacko45k said:

From rags to riches..... the parasites will be circling again!

the Russian weaponsdealer many years...maybe 20, very upset explained in an interview the commission.

For civilian airplanes it is always 5 and 7 % for the decision maker. 5 and 7 is Boeing and Airbus, I can not remember which was the 7 and which the 5%.

(for military things it is 10%) For the military he pointed out that it is a kind of standard rate that is always payed, no matter what countries are buyer or seller....

Getting a 5% of 30 airplanes is a nice amount of money even if you need to share it.

[KhunLA]

So are they considered 'out of bankruptycy' or at least enough to start refunding all those covid tickets people purchased.   

 

Or am I not up to speed on news of refunds ?  Anyone out there still waiting, though may not help with all the new fare increases.

[ezzra]

59 minutes ago, JoePai said:

There are many planes parked up at Swampy doing nothing - can they not use those and save a bit of money ?

Spoken like a true novice to Thailand, How will they pocket commissions, grafts and other favors if not by ordering new equipment?

Edited June 28, 2023 by ezzra

[thaiowl]

According to THAI's own website, their fleet currently consists of 43 aircraft plus another 20 for Thai Smile, taking the total fleet size to 63. Prior to the pandemic, the airline had been operating six Airbus A380s as well as nine Boeing 747-400s. All of these large aircraft were sent into storage over the course of 2020 and it looks like they will be permanently retired. In addition, pre-pandemic, the airline also had a fleet of 15 A330-300s with an average age of 11 years with some of these being very young aircraft. Not sure what's going to happen to these aircraft but I don't think think they are operation, nor do they form of THAI's fleet on the website. So it looks like THAI's pre-pandemic fleet has decreased by a total of 30 aircraft.

[2baht]

3 hours ago, JoePai said:

There are many planes parked up at Swampy doing nothing - can they not use those and save a bit of money ?

No commission in refurbishing! ????

[perconrad]

3 hours ago, KhunLA said:

So are they considered 'out of bankruptycy' or at least enough to start refunding all those covid tickets people purchased.   

 

Or am I not up to speed on news of refunds ?  Anyone out there still waiting, though may not help with all the new fare increases.

Last year, I phoned Thai Airways and it took more than one hour on the phone and then I had a replacement ticket for my cancelled one for BKK CPH and return.

 

I did not pay anything for the new ticket even the price at that time was higher than what I paid first.

[TheFishman1]

Somebody’s going to get a very large commission on thatTIT

[wwest5829]

Just a personal observation. My first flight to Thailand was in 2009. The affect of those Thai traditionally dressed stewardess’ was meaning ful to me. Thai Air should be viewed as a great potential asset in tourism. Of course that relies on being competitive in the market place and unique in the travel reflecting on Thai culture. Thailand, my first trip to SE Asia and now my only global residence.

[cjinchiangrai]

So what are the widebodies going to be? A350s? 777s?

[Searat7]

49 minutes ago, thaiowl said:

According to THAI's own website, their fleet currently consists of 43 aircraft plus another 20 for Thai Smile, taking the total fleet size to 63. Prior to the pandemic, the airline had been operating six Airbus A380s as well as nine Boeing 747-400s. All of these large aircraft were sent into storage over the course of 2020 and it looks like they will be permanently retired. In addition, pre-pandemic, the airline also had a fleet of 15 A330-300s with an average age of 11 years with some of these being very young aircraft. Not sure what's going to happen to these aircraft but I don't think think they are operation, nor do they form of THAI's fleet on the website. So it looks like THAI's pre-pandemic fleet has decreased by a total of 30 aircraft.

On their website they would list only the active fleet. I know all of the 747’s were sold already but I think they still have a few A-340’s which are hard to sell because they have 4 engines. I think they planned to return some A-380’s to the lessor. 

[Purdey]

I don't suppose they have to buy new aircraft because the current board hasn't received any kickbacks yet?

Nah, can't be that.

[off road pat]

4 hours ago, JoePai said:

There are many planes parked up at Swampy doing nothing - can they not use those and save a bit of money ?

Now that is exactly what I was thinking,...but then again,...there are no "kick backs" in there own old planes.....(A “kickback” is a bribe paid incrementally by the contractor as it is paid, usually an agreed percentage of the contract. Most bribes in exchange for large contract awards in international development projects are paid as kickbacks, usually totaling 5%-10% of the contract value.)

Best regards and have a good day !

[Srikcir]

2 hours ago, thaiowl said:

According to THAI's own website, their fleet currently consists of 43 aircraft plus another 20 for Thai Smile, taking the total fleet size to 63. Prior to the pandemic, the airline had been operating six Airbus A380s as well as nine Boeing 747-400s. All of these large aircraft were sent into storage over the course of 2020 and it looks like they will be permanently retired. In addition, pre-pandemic, the airline also had a fleet of 15 A330-300s with an average age of 11 years with some of these being very young aircraft. Not sure what's going to happen to these aircraft but I don't think think they are operation, nor do they form of THAI's fleet on the website. So it looks like THAI's pre-pandemic fleet has decreased by a total of 30 aircraft.

Russia might want to buy/trade oil for Thai Airways' out of service/- surplus Airbus and Boeing aircraft, if not just for parts while Russia is under Western sanctions. 

[SmokeandIce]

18 hours ago, JoePai said:

There are many planes parked up at Swampy doing nothing - can they not use those and save a bit of money ?

I flew out of Don Meaung yestetday (27June) and saw 3 Thai airways widebody jets parked there.

[SmokeandIce]

14 hours ago, cjinchiangrai said:

So what are the widebodies going to be? A350s? 777s?

If they choose boeing aircraft, 787 most likely

[sandyf]

5 hours ago, ezzra said:

Spoken like a true novice to Thailand, How will they pocket commissions, grafts and other favors if not by ordering new equipment?

In the same way it happens in every other country.

The real novices are those that believe corruption is unique to Thailand, when in fact they are only following the leaders.

[EvetsKram]

6 hours ago, KhunLA said:

So are they considered 'out of bankruptycy' or at least enough to start refunding all those covid tickets people purchased.   

 

Or am I not up to speed on news of refunds ?  Anyone out there still waiting, though may not help with all the new fare increases.

Last week I was checking prices, one way to Brisbane, Thai 40k-60k, that was for economy tickets. Do people pay those sort of prices?

[xylophone]

12 minutes ago, EvetsKram said:

Last week I was checking prices, one way to Brisbane, Thai 40k-60k, that was for economy tickets. Do people pay those sort of prices?

Have you tried looking at JetStar prices, although it might mean a short hop between Sydney and Brisbane?

 

Despite all that people have said about JetStar I have flown them many times between Sydney and Phuket, business class, and always found them to be excellent.

[Sydebolle]

Wonders never seize:
300+ billion (not million) carried-forward losses
10 billion profit end of March while 
20 billion losses were accrued by their 100% daughter enterprise Thai Smile; latter to be integrated 100% into Thai Airways

Can anyone tell me, where my mistake in Thai mathematics is? 

[xylophone]

1 minute ago, Sydebolle said:

Wonders never seize:
300+ billion (not million) carried-forward losses
10 billion profit end of March while 
20 billion losses were accrued by their 100% daughter enterprise Thai Smile; latter to be integrated 100% into Thai Airways

Can anyone tell me, where my mistake in Thai mathematics is? 

Yes........you have to use a Thai calculator and Thai logic!!

[keithkarmann]

Great, they have money for all those new planes but after nearly four years I still have not received my refund. Obviously customer satisfaction is a very low priority.

[keithkarmann]

6 hours ago, KhunLA said:

So are they considered 'out of bankruptycy' or at least enough to start refunding all those covid tickets people purchased.   

 

Or am I not up to speed on news of refunds ?  Anyone out there still waiting, though may not help with all the new fare increases.

I'm still waiting.

[CMBob]

Given their track record (the Thai government having to regularly pony up gargantuan money to keep this "national" airline alive), the first order of business is to totally privatize Thai airline.  A sure way to screw up an airline business is to have a government owning or controlling what should be a private, non-public, enterprise.

Edited June 28, 2023 by CMBob

[zzaa09]

The corporate/government manner of conducting business [the world over].

Ain't it grand. 

[hotchilli]

8 hours ago, jacko45k said:

From rags to riches..... the parasites will be circling again!

No skimming from leasing....