ISTANBUL—Thai Airways is planning to place a long-awaited widebody aircraft order in 2023, CEO Chai Eamsiri said at the IATA annual general meeting June 4.
Thai will soon issue a request for proposals (RFP) covering 30 aircraft, Chai told Aviation Daily. An order could follow a few months after the RFP process.
The airline wants a mix of widebody aircraft to cover both short-haul and long-haul routes, Chai said. The aircraft will be for both replacement and growth.
The CEO said Thai Airways plans to include the disposal of its parked Airbus A380s as part of the order negotiations. The carrier has six A380s but does not intend to return any to service.
Last year, Thai Airways said it was considering reactivating a few of its A380s to help meet surging demand. However, the A380s are too costly to operate and would need MRO checks to activate them, Chai said.
The airline has secured another 11 leased A350s to bolster its fleet in the near term. The first of these has already arrived, and a second is due the week of June 12, Chai said.
Thai phased out many of its older aircraft during the pandemic. It intends to return to its pre-COVID fleet size by 2027, the CEO said.
Meanwhile, Thai Airways is also making progress on its plans to absorb the Thai Smile subsidiary into the parent carrier. Four of the Thai Smile narrowbodies have already been transferred, and the rest will follow this year, Chai said.
