Thai Airways, the national flag carrier of Thailand, has charted its future with the inclusion of five Airbus A321neo aircraft to its fleet. With this induction slated from mid-2025 onwards, the airline isn’t stopping there. Chai Eamsiri, the CEO of Thai Airways, revealed plans to lease five more of these narrowbody aircraft at the IATA AGM in Istanbul, boosting the A321neo count to ten. It seems the A321neos are being primed for regional and domestic flights, promising a more robust regional presence for the airline.
Eamsiri expressed his anticipation for the A321neo to join the fleet as early as possible. Still, he recognizes the challenges that aircraft manufacturers face due to supply chain issues and backlog orders. “We would love to have it by next year, but as you know [the aircraft manufacturers] cannot deliver as their order books are filling up.”
Broader Horizons with A350-900s and A320s
Thai Airways’ rejuvenation plan doesn’t stop at the A321neo. Eleven more A350-900s will join the carrier’s fleet, with two already delivered. These widebody aircraft are set to enhance Thai Airways’ regional market penetration. According to Eamsiri, the remaining nine A350-900s will touch down in 2024.
Additionally, the merger of Thai Smile Airlines into Thai Airways will usher in around 20 Airbus A320 to the mainline fleet. This fleet expansion will fortify the airline’s regional and domestic routes, with the A321neos enabling Thai Airways to reach more secondary and regional cities, particularly in Australia, China, and India.
Tackling Industry Challenges Head-On
Like any other airline, Thai Airways has also had its share of turbulence, from organizational inefficiency to the detrimental impacts of COVID. However, Eamsiri is aware that air travel recovery has been faster than expected, prompting the airline to reactivate older aircraft like the A330 and the 777-200ER to meet the surge in travel demand.
Thai Airways has been subject to criticism for its product inconsistency. This issue was not lost on the CEO, who intends to retrofit older aircraft. However, the current shortage of MRO slots poses a significant hurdle. The focus remains on getting the aircraft back in the sky to meet the soaring demand, which is the top priority for Thai Airways.
“Right now the market is coming back, so you have to grab [the opportunity] first. Otherwise, if you retrofit the aircraft now…it would be [taken out] from service for a while, and we will lose that revenue,” Chai revealed in an interview with Flight Global. Although the inconsistency issue might not find a solution in the short run, the airline is committed to capitalizing on the rising demand.
First love never dies. I fell in love with airplanes and aviation when I was a kid. My dream was to become a pilot, but destiny led me to another path: to be an aviation digital media content creator and a small business owner. My passion for aviation inspires me to bring you quality content through my website and social accounts. Aviation is indeed in my blood and blog!
