webfact Posted June 13, 2011 Share Posted June 13, 2011 Thai Airways to acquire 23 Airbus, 14 Boeing planes BANGKOK, June 13, 2011 (AFP) - Thai Airways announced Monday that it would acquire 23 Airbus and 14 Boeing airplanes for about $3.9 billion to modernise its ageing fleet after a period of financial turbulence. The carrier said the deals, which have been approved by its board of directors, would enable it to grow profits and be among the top three leading airlines in Asia in terms of quality and service efficiency. The airline plans to buy six Boeing 777-300ER planes, four Airbus A350-900s and five A320-200s for a total of about $1.6 billion, for delivery between 2014 and 2017. It will also lease 22 aircraft, including eight Boeing 787 Dreamliners, to be delivered between 2012 and 2017, a company statement said. "Acquiring new aircraft made from lightweight and non-corrosive composite material to replace retiring aircraft will save fuel and maintenance costs," it added. The company is bouncing back after a tough spell that saw it sink 21.3 billion baht ($702 million) in the red in 2008 owing to the global financial crisis, high fuel costs and political protests that temporarily shut Bangkok's airports. The carrier posted a net profit of 1.6 billion baht in 2010, up more than threefold compared with 2009 as revenue more than doubled. The airline faces increased competition from regional low-cost carriers such as Air Asia and last year announced plans to start its own budget airline in cooperation with Singapore's Tiger Airways. Currently Thai Airways operates a mixed fleet, including some ageing Boeing 747 jumbos and Airbus A300s, which are no longer being produced. Thai Airways president Piyasvasti Amranand admitted in October that the carrier's planes were "pretty old" and said the company needed to move quickly given the backlog of orders facing Boeing and Airbus. The new orders are on top of a plan announced a year ago to take delivery of seven Airbus A330-300s medium-range aircraft and eight Boeing 777-300ER long-range planes by 2014 on lease. The group has delayed delivery of six Airbus A380s, now due to arrive starting from 2012, because of a shortage of cash. The launch of Boeing's new 787 Dreamliner, heralded as a new generation of highly fuel-efficient mid-sized aircraft, has been repeatedly delayed due to a string of technical mishaps. Delivery of the first 787s is now scheduled for the third quarter of 2011 to inaugural customer All Nippon Airways of Japan. -- (c) Copyright AFP 2011-06-13 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
laurentbkk Posted June 13, 2011 Share Posted June 13, 2011 Great ... hopefully they will have flat bed for business class .... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Northman061 Posted June 13, 2011 Share Posted June 13, 2011 So do we have to expect even higher prices from Thai Airways to cover these purchases? Who still flies with this overpriced company?:jap: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lazygourmet Posted June 13, 2011 Share Posted June 13, 2011 So do we have to expect even higher prices from Thai Airways to cover these purchases? Who still flies with this overpriced company?:jap: Thai national frequent flyers... The majority of them, that I know, would never dare to try another airline... Nationalistic pride, I presume!?! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rkidlad Posted June 13, 2011 Share Posted June 13, 2011 I will never fly Thai Airways again. Old planes with miserable staff. Let the locals fly with them out of some bizarre sense of loyalty to all that is Thailand. :jap: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
trainman34014 Posted June 13, 2011 Share Posted June 13, 2011 Bla bla bla....seems we've heard this song before. Over the last three years they have constantly talked about new aircraft while other (cheaper ) airlines have actually got on and done it. Thai are way over priced on almost all routes out of Thailand but you can get cheap returns from Europe and that's how they fill up their old clapped out bangers with tourists on return tickets. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ginjag Posted June 13, 2011 Share Posted June 13, 2011 So do we have to expect even higher prices from Thai Airways to cover these purchases? Who still flies with this overpriced company?:jap: The topic headline----Ha, is far different from the delivery report. Dreamliners from next year-tech probs not yet in service. Airbus delivery DELAYED short of cash ?? some deliveries as late as 20 17 . The boss admitted last October that TGs aircraft were OLD. 15 of the wide bodied ER aircraft, to replace the 747s will be delivered in 2 to 5 years time. I have quickly picked snippets from the topic, trying to say--NONE yet and all the others are a long way off being delivered. Did anyone else find the heading misleading giving an impression delivery quite soon ??? Some people looking at the heading without reading it will be booking TG only to get a shock when boarding Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MaiChai Posted June 13, 2011 Share Posted June 13, 2011 Does that mean that the 380s to replace the ancient 747s on the LHR route are now going to take longer to arrive, so what happens with the crappy service on this route? Lack of any kind of planning comes to mind. Mai pen rai Airlines!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ginjag Posted June 13, 2011 Share Posted June 13, 2011 Does that mean that the 380s to replace the ancient 747s on the LHR route are now going to take longer to arrive, so what happens with the crappy service on this route? Lack of any kind of planning comes to mind. Mai pen rai Airlines!!! I think you got it, what other of the planes will do the non stop trip ?? Fully loaded with smaller capacity-the 777 300er, are good Etihad/Emirates use them, but non stop ?? and delivery ( LEASE) 2014, This is shocking planning, when they said they are to acquire---Let Emirates have the route- they will be on a roll and have the new planes delivered. and their prices would be lower. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
skippybangkok Posted June 13, 2011 Share Posted June 13, 2011 Great ... hopefully they will have flat bed for business class .... Naaaaa ... i want them old seats they use on the Ho Chi Min route..... nice once u get used to sitting upright. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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