Thai Airways Airbus A380 Lands At Suvarnabhumi

[webfact]

Thai Airways Airbus A380 lands at Suvarnabhumi

By Cole Pennington

Thai Airways Airbus A380

BANGKOK: -- All the talk about the new Airbus airplane is now a reality. Thai Airways Airways just took delivery of the superjumbo aircraft at the Airbus headquarters in Toulouse, France on Sept. 28. They’ve now joined the league of world-class airlines like Emirates, Qantas, Singapore Air, and Lufthansa that operate the massive A380.

Thai Airways will operate a total of six A380 airplanes, with the first being delivered today and entering service shortly thereafter. The Thai Airways A380 configuration includes the Rolls Royce Trent 900 engines and a cabin segmented into three classes: Royal First class (12 seats), Royal Silk (60 seats) and Economy (495 seats) totaling 507 passengers. For comparison, the Singapore Airlines configuration of the A380 only seats 371 passengers.

Thai Airways operates the highest number of seats out of all the Asian carriers. It might be cramped, but look at the bright side, more passengers means more lovely air hostesses! Also every seat has a new entertainment system and power outlets. That’s huge on long haul flights.

Full story: http://www.coconutsb...t-suvarnabhumi/

-- COCONUTS Bangkok 2012-10-02

[whybother]

Thai Airways operates the highest number of seats out of all the Asian carriers. It might be cramped, but look at the bright side, more passengers means more lovely air hostesses!

THAI to hire flight attendants up to age 60

http://www.thaivisa....s-up-to-age-60/

Edited October 2, 2012 by whybother

[Payboy]

They’ve now joined the league of world-class airlines like Emirates, Qantas, Singapore Air, and Lufthansa that operate the massive A380.

Rather a broad definition of "world-class" there.

[sungod]

"Also every seat has a new entertainment system and power outlets. That’s huge on long haul flights."

Welcome to the 21st century Thai. Most airlines were offering this way back in the last decade

[Noistar]

Am I being facetious to note a certain person missing from the PR opportunity of arriving at BKK on the delivery flight?

Probably

[Joeb]

If you thought immigration lines were long before, wait till a few of these land at the same time.

[asiawatcher]

Let's see how the pricing (way too high) reflects pax carried over one year.

[Nisa]

And the contest is underway for the most doom and gloom poster responding to a positive news.

[BlackFra83]

Does anybody know the flight paths involving these aircrafts?

[rubl]

And the contest is underway for the most doom and gloom poster responding to a positive news.

Is this the final part of the 'improved runway' test program ?

[aguy30]

Thailand, The Hub of Misinformation

" three classes: Royal First class (12 seats), Royal Silk (60 seats) and Economy (495 seats) totaling 507 passengers"

12+60+495=507

I would have thought the total would be 567.

http://www.thaiairways.com.au/thai_special_offers_desc.asp?special_cat=What's%20New&id=405

" The aircraft are equipped to carry 507 passengers in a three-class configuration: 12 seats in Royal First Class, 60 seats in Royal Silk Class and 435 seats in Economy Class."

"Singapore Airlines configuration of the A380 only seats 371 passengers"

SeatGuru.com and the Singapore Air site show 60 business, 399 economy and 12 private suite class

60+399+12=471

[Nisa]

"Singapore Airlines configuration of the A380 only seats 371 passengers"

SeatGuru.com and the Singapore Air site show 60 business, 399 economy and 12 private suite class

60+399+12=471

Signapore's A380 has been reconfigured. See http://www.seatplans...A380-(Config-2) & http://www.seatplans.../seatplans/A380. Can't figure out the exact total but the numbers you are showing appear to be older as they eliminated all the economy seats on the upper deck and converted them to business for a total of 84 (additional 24) Business class and a minimum reduction of 88 economy seats). Assuming nothing else changed this would be a total of 407. Although not 399, it is closer to that then the 471.

Edit: Yes, it appears to be 407 now ... http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Singapore_Airlines#Fleet

Edited October 2, 2012 by Nisa

[LindsayBKK]

Well why not I guess, when your a struggling airline and you have bad management that tries to merge with

a low cost carrier oooops failed!, so of course what do you do next? Buy bigger planes! Then you can lose your money faster and be like any american airline and go through bankruptcy every 3-5 years. Sweet!

[philw]

If they ever drop one, and god forbid that it happens, this forum will be full of "I told you so's".

TG is quite rightly and proudly, operating one of the most technological aircraft on the scene.

Why not give TG and Thailand credit for this ??

Edited October 2, 2012 by philw

[rakman]

Does anybody know the flight paths involving these aircrafts?

Current planning is:

Hong Kong, Singapore then Frankfurt, Narita, and Paris.

http://airlineroute.net/2012/04/21/tg-380-w12/

Initially it will do short hauls to train flight and ground crews. Then the long hauls start.

[rubl]

If they ever drop one, and god forbid that it happens, this forum will be full of "I told you so's".

TG is quite rightly and proudly, operating one of the most technological aircraft on the scene.

Why not give TG and Thailand credit for this ??

Credit goes to THAI for recognizing a few years ago that the A380 would be a good substitute for aging 747's. More credit once they really start operating the plane commercially.

Not sure why Thailand earned credit here?

[philw]

If they ever drop one, and god forbid that it happens, this forum will be full of "I told you so's".

TG is quite rightly and proudly, operating one of the most technological aircraft on the scene.

Why not give TG and Thailand credit for this ??

Credit goes to THAI for recognizing a few years ago that the A380 would be a good substitute for aging 747's. More credit once they really start operating the plane commercially.

Not sure why Thailand earned credit here?

Has to be approved by the Gov't of the day.

[whybother]

Does anybody know the flight paths involving these aircrafts?

I have heard Hong Kong and Singapore. It makes a certain amount of sense given they fly 747's to Chiang Mai.

[rubl]

If they ever drop one, and god forbid that it happens, this forum will be full of "I told you so's".

TG is quite rightly and proudly, operating one of the most technological aircraft on the scene.

Why not give TG and Thailand credit for this ??

Credit goes to THAI for recognizing a few years ago that the A380 would be a good substitute for aging 747's. More credit once they really start operating the plane commercially.

Not sure why Thailand earned credit here?

Has to be approved by the Gov't of the day.

The major shareholder of THAI you mean I guess. The planes were ordered a long time ago, maybe 2004 (?) with THAI not amongst initial clients. In December 2006 THAI re-negotiated because of delays (THAI even said it would cancel its order for six A380s if talks on compensation for delayed delivery failed), in 2009 THAI re-negotiated to defer initial delivery two years (Oct, 2010 to Oct, 2012).

BTW just for the fun of it, a news item from September, 2007:

Thai pilots collide with hanger on Airbus A380 test flight

http://www.tgdaily.c...380-test-flight

[inthefareast]

Nice looking bird....

[Heng]

All they have to do is fill them up with passengers.

[nong38]

Thailand, The Hub of Misinformation

" three classes: Royal First class (12 seats), Royal Silk (60 seats) and Economy (495 seats) totaling 507 passengers"

12+60+495=507

I would have thought the total would be 567.

http://www.thaiairwa...39;s New&id=405

" The aircraft are equipped to carry 507 passengers in a three-class configuration: 12 seats in Royal First Class, 60 seats in Royal Silk Class and 435 seats in Economy Class."

"Singapore Airlines configuration of the A380 only seats 371 passengers"

SeatGuru.com and the Singapore Air site show 60 business, 399 economy and 12 private suite class

60+399+12=471

oooooo er!

[nong38]

With reference to post 19, I have seen youtube pictures of an middle eastern airline, think Man city, who picked up a new A380 and totalled the aircraft before take off, always best to read the maunal before you think you can fly/drive.

[Nisa]

If they ever drop one, and god forbid that it happens, this forum will be full of "I told you so's".

TG is quite rightly and proudly, operating one of the most technological aircraft on the scene.

Why not give TG and Thailand credit for this ??

Credit goes to THAI for recognizing a few years ago that the A380 would be a good substitute for aging 747's. More credit once they really start operating the plane commercially.

Not sure why Thailand earned credit here?

It is a government owned and operated airline.

[flightcrew1]

With reference to post 19, I have seen youtube pictures of an middle eastern airline, think Man city, who picked up a new A380 and totalled the aircraft before take off, always best to read the maunal before you think you can fly/drive.

It was a A340-600 for Etihad and it was in Toulouse, France. It wasn't the pilots who were picking it up but ADAT but the flight crew of Abu Dhabi Aircraft Technologies.

[sushi5734]

Shame they're not going to use it on the London - Bangkok route, the last few flights I've had on Thai Airways the cabins have been really shabby. I would honestly take a flight with jet airways, Eva or most of the other budget airlines over a flight with Thai airlines if the tickets were the same price, the fact that they are usually around 90k baht.....yeah maybe for business class but economy please!!........I would rather walk!!

[rubl]

If they ever drop one, and god forbid that it happens, this forum will be full of "I told you so's".

TG is quite rightly and proudly, operating one of the most technological aircraft on the scene.

Why not give TG and Thailand credit for this ??

Credit goes to THAI for recognizing a few years ago that the A380 would be a good substitute for aging 747's. More credit once they really start operating the plane commercially.

Not sure why Thailand earned credit here?

It is a government owned and operated airline.

THAI is a "Public Company Limited", so it's not government owned, nor government operated. Mind you, I admit to a certain political influence which might explain some board movements and lack of profit

http://www.set.or.th/set/companyprofile.do?symbol=thai

[Greer]

They've now joined the league of world-class airlines like Emirates, Qantas, Singapore Air, and Lufthansa that operate the massive A380.

Rather a broad definition of "world-class" there.

Yes, they included Qaintarse in that list...

[Greer]

Getting back to the main point - congrats to Thai and to Airbus! Excellent news for travellers on TG.

The A380 is a very nice craft in which to fly.

[monty1412]

Does anybody know the flight paths involving these aircrafts?

I have heard Hong Kong and Singapore. It makes a certain amount of sense given they fly 747's to Chiang Mai.

They wont use them on short haul... cant get fuel efficiency on these plans unless they are in the air for 7 hours.. Frankfurt/London/ Sydney and maybe Melbourne will be routes they will look at.

The A380 uses a boatload of fuel on takeoff however at cruise is more efficient than 747.. as such have to have em up in the air for long period to amortise the takeoff usage.