Thai Airways : TG : THA :

Rolls-Royce today announced that THAI Airways International has selected the Trent 700 to power a new fleet of eight Airbus A330-300s, in a deal worth around $300 million at engine list prices. The aircraft are due to be delivered from 2009 onwards.

In addition, the engines will be covered by a 10 year TotalCare® long term [Vous devez être inscrit et connecté pour voir ce lien] agreement, based on an agreed [Vous devez être inscrit et connecté pour voir ce lien] fee per engine flying hour.

THAI was the launch customer for the Trent 800 on both the -200 and -300 versions of the Boeing 777 and has 20 aircraft in its fleet, which now also includes the Trent-powered -200ER version. The airline also operates the Trent 500, supported by TotalCare, on 10 Airbus A340-500 and -600s.

Khun Tummasak, Executive Vice President Technical at THAI, said: “We have developed a strong relationship with Rolls-Royce since we started operating the Trent 800 in 1996. During that time, Rolls-Royce has demonstrated an excellent understanding of our business requirements which has helped them provide the highest levels of [Vous devez être inscrit et connecté pour voir ce lien] for our operation. This was one of the key factors in our decision, along with our evaluation of long term operating costs.”

Nick Devall, Executive Vice President, Rolls-Royce Customer Business at Rolls-Royce, added: "This decision to select the Trent 700 for its second batch of A330s shows how far the relationship has developed and it will bring a third member of the Trent engine family into THAI’s fleet. I am delighted to have the opportunity to grow the Trent’s presence in support of THAI's long term growth plans.”

The Trent 700 is the only engine on the A330 that has been specifically designed for the aircraft, resulting in better performance, reliability and maintenance costs. It is the market [Vous devez être inscrit et connecté pour voir ce lien] on the A330 with a 50 per cent share of firm orders.

It is also the quietest and cleanest [Vous devez être inscrit et connecté pour voir ce lien] on the A330, with the greatest [Vous devez être inscrit et connecté pour voir ce lien] to CAEP 4 legislation. A programme of continuous improvement, involving the [Vous devez être inscrit et connecté pour voir ce lien] of the latest Trent family technology to the Trent 700, will ensure increased benefits to customers, such as the lowest fuel burn of any engine on the aircraft.

Thai Airways International has begun talks with Airbus on the possibility of acquiring up to 30 of the next-generation A350XWB jets and six additional A380 superjumbos.

Demand has been heavy for the A350XWB and deliveries may fall behind schedule.

THAI president Piyasvasti Amranand and Jean-Jacques Boissin, Airbus's Southeast Asia sales director, separately confirmed the discussions. If a sale materialises, it may represent the largest aircraft order in the 50-year history of the flag carrier.

The aircraft would cost US$9.12 billion on the open market, though Airbus tends to offer deep discounts to compete with US rival Boeing on major orders.

Airbus is pushing for orders of the new high-capacity jets as part of THAI's ongoing fleet renewal programme as it replaces ageing jets with planes that offer more advanced features and better fuel efficiency to appeal to customers.

According to a draft plan presented to THAI's board earlier, by 2026 the airline expects to have a fleet of 102 aircraft with an average age of 7.5 years.

Currently there are 88 planes in THAI's fleet with an average age of 11.5 years, compared to competitors such as Singapore Airlines and Cathay Pacific whose aircraft are six to seven years old.

Mr Boissin believes THAI needs thirty A350s over the next decade to replace the A340s, Boeing B777-200ERs and B777-300ERs it uses on long-haul routes.

Airbus also wants to sell THAI another six double-decker A380s beyond the six units already ordered and due for delivery in 2012 and 2013 to operate primarily on European routes.

"We are absolutely sure that THAI needs at least twice as many [A380s]," said Mr Boissin, though THAI executives did not comment.

But THAI is interested in the 900 and 1000 versions of the long-range, mid-size, wide-body A350 which boasts advanced technology and fuel efficiency.

Priced at $240 million, the A350-900 seats 314 passengers in a three-class cabin layout. It has a standard range target of 15,000 km.

The -900 version will debut in 2013 with the first aircraft going to Qatar Airways, to be followed by the 270-seat A350-800 ($208 million) in 2014. An even larger variant with 350 seats, the A350-1000, is scheduled to enter service in late 2015, according to Airbus.

However, Airbus may not be able to deliver the A350s to potential new customers soon enough due to a large order backlog, now at 530 planes from 33 customers, including Bangkok Airways which ordered four new jets.
"We are a victim of our own success. So we have to reorganise to improve production capacity," said Mr Boissin.
The earliest that Airbus could deliver the first A350 to THAI is 2017, he pointed out.

The A350 was designed to compete with Boeing's hot-selling 787 Dreamliner, which is running more than two years behind schedule. The US planemaker has already received more than 850 orders for the jet that will largely be made of composite materials.

The A350 will be the first Airbus plane with both fuselage and wing structures made largely of carbon fibre-reinforced plastic. Airbus claims the A350 will be more fuel efficient, with up to 8% lower operating costs than the B787.
Airbus projects demand for 5,000 aircraft in the 250- to 300-seat category over the next two decades, a segment that includes the A350 and B787.

Thai Airways dément négocier avec Airbus l'achat de 30 nouveaux avions


BANGKOK, 19 août 2010 (AFP)Le transporteur aéronautique Thai Airways a démenti jeudi négocier avec le constructeur européen Airbus un méga-contrat portant sur une trentaine d'appareils de nouvelle génération, comme l'affirmait en début de semaine la presse locale.

Un dirigeant a reconnu sous le couvert de l'anonymat l'existence de discussions pouvant aboutir à la commande d'une trentaine d'A350 ou de B787.

Thai Airways a annoncé à l'agence Reuters, vendredi 20 août, discuter avec Boeing et EADS en vue d'une éventuelle commande record de 30 appareils, ravivant les rumeurs portant sur un potentiel contrat de 9 milliards de dollars (7 milliards d'euros). Airbus a proposé son modèle A350 et Boeing son Dreamliner 787, a fait savoir un dirigeant de la compagnie, qui a souhaité conserver l'anonymat, les négociations n'étant pour le moment pas officielles.

Jeudi, un porte-parole du transporteur avait pourtant officiellement démenti auprès de l'AFP la négociation d'un méga contrat avec Airbus. "Il n'y a pas eu de moindres discussions avec Airbus sur l'achat de 30 avions. Il n'y a pas plus d'engagements à acheter 30 avions à Airbus", avait-il indiqué.

Le quotidien anglophone Bangkok Post avait affirmé lundi que les deux sociétés étaient en discussions sur l'achat de trente A350 et six A380 supplémentaires, tandis que Les Echos évoquaient jeudi l'ouverture de "discussions", en citant un porte-parole d'Airbus.

La semaine dernière Thai Airways avait finalisé un accord avec Airbus portant sur l'achat de sept long-courriers A330-300, contrat d'une valeur de 1,48 milliard de dollars au prix catalogue.

(Challenges.fr, avec AFP et Reuters)

Up to 77 Boeing jets may be in THAI cart

Splurge is for fleet renewal


Thai Airways International (THAI) is embarking on a multi-billion-dollar shopping spree that may include up to 77 new Boeing aircraft, mostly wide-body types, in a major fleet renewal in the flag carrier's 50-year history.

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Seattle-based Boeing Commercial Airplanes has proposed to THAI a comprehensive range of jets, including two newly developed B787 "Dreamliners" and B747-8 jumbo jets.
The US planemaker is in talks with the majority state-owned airline for the jets, pitching against its European rival Airbus, which focuses its sales drive on up to 30 A350XWB jets and six additional A380 superjumbos.
The offers by the world's two largest plane producers came as THAI is finalising the longer-term plan for major fleet rejuvenation that will begin in 2015, essentially to replace ageing aircraft to drive down its average fleet age from 11.5 years currently to 7.5 years by 2026.

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THAI management is due to conclude the plan toward the end of this year.
THAI president Piyasvasti Amranand, who is completing his first year in office next month, is eager to put the plane acquisition plan in place before any political interference sets in, according to industry sources.
Historically, THAI's aircraft acquisitions were marked by political intervention and favouritism among certain suppliers, leaving THAI with diverse types of not only airframes and engines but also cabin interiors _ a nightmare that other well-run carriers will want to avoid at all costs.
A draft plan presented to THAI's board earlier this year shows that by 2026, the airline expects to have a fleet of 102 aircraft, compared to 88 currently.
According to Christopher Flint, Boeing's senior sales director for Asia Pacific, the company has offered a wide range of aircraft, ranging from the new B747 jumbo to the single-aisle B737 "Next Generation" aircraft.
Though the bulk of aircraft Boeing offered are passenger carriers, there are also dedicated brand-new freighters, as well as the conversion of THAI's B747 passenger jets to cargo haulage that will meet the airline's growing freight business.
The largest number of Boeing aircraft type that the company has proposed to the Thai carrier consist of the mid-sized, wide-body, twin-engine jet B787-30.
The other types of aircraft offered by Boeing are 18 of B777-300ER, the twin-engine aircraft that can fly 360 to 450 passengers non-stop over a distance of 14,500 km, and the so-called renewed B747, nicknamed Queen of the Skies which took to the air in 1970, with 10 for the passenger version (747-8 Intercontinental) and two for all-cargo jets (747-8F).
In an interview in Bangkok, Mr Flint said he believed Boeing had an edge over Airbus in respect to earlier availability of aircraft to THAI, especially the Dreamliners and the B747-8s.
He said the first Dreamliners, the aircraft high on THAI's shopping list, can be delivered to THAI as soon as 2013 or 2014, years ahead of the A350XWB, Airbus's competing jet, which also has high carbon composite content, advanced technology and fuel efficiency.
The A350XWB, the 900 version, will debut in 2013 with the first aircraft going to Qatar Airways, to be followed by the 270-seat A350-800 in 2014. An even-larger variant with 350 seats, the A350-1000, is scheduled to enter service in late 2015.
The Dreamliners can be available to THAI, 3-4 units each year starting in 2013-2014, by aircraft leasing firms which had advanced bookings for the long-awaited jetliner.
Last month, Jean-Jacques Boissin, Airbus's Southeast Asia sales director, told the Bangkok Post that the earliest that Airbus could deliver the first A350 to THAI is 2017 due to a substantial backlog of more than 530 orders.
Ralph Boyce, the former US ambassador to Thailand and now serving as president of Boeing for Southeast Asia, said the contest against Airbus to land the massive aircraft contract with THAI would be fierce.
He said Boeing's chance was 50:50 because Airbus was the only other competitor. "That's better than having a one-tenth (opportunity)," he quipped.
Mr Flint said Boeing would assist THAI in financial issues related to the acquisition of its aircraft by means of leasing, through firms such as GE Capital and the Bank of China-owned BOC Aviation, and/or outright purchasing.
"We can offer help in finding advance payment or securing an US Exim bank guarantee, among others," he said.

THAI to lease eight Boeings


Thai Airways International has clinched a deal to lease eight brand-new large-capacity long-haul Boeing jets from BOC Aviation as part of its ongoing fleet renewal.
The leasing unit of Bank of China was chosen over two other contenders, Dubai Aerospace Enterprise (DAE) and Dublin-based AWAS, which were unable to make available the required eight B777-300ER planes.
DAE could only spare four while AWAS has two for leasing to THAI, according to THAI insiders.
Under the deal sealed recently, BOC will lease the aircraft for 12 years at US$1.15 million a month per jet, plus a "commitment fee" of $5.87 million per aircraft, a charge that will not be returned to the airline.
BOC, wholly owned by Bank of China, one of the 10 largest banks in the world, will deliver the first plane to THAI in August 2012 with the last due in October 2013.
The eight B777-300ERs will be used on European routes, replacing ageing B747-400s and the B777-300ERs that THAI has leased from India's Jet Airways and will give up the fleet upon the expiry of the three-year lease by then.
The new aircraft provided by BOC will be configured with two classes, 40 seats in business class and 306 in economy class.
The business class will have flat-bed seats while the economy seats will be equipped with personal screens featuring inflight audio-video on-demand systems.
All these features are not currently available in most THAI's aircraft, except the three B777-300ERs leased from Jet Airways.
The eight B777-300ERs leased from BOC form parts of the 15 mid-size wide-body aircraft acquisition approved earlier this year by the THAI board to conform with the aircraft replacement programme for medium to short-haul routes.
The seven other aircraft, Airbus A330- 300s, have earlier been ordered by THAI and are due to join the fleet in stages, starting from mid-November 2011 to April 2013.

Rolls-Royce, the global power systems company, has won an order worth $390m at list prices from THAI Airways International for Trent 700 engines to power an additional seven Airbus A330 aircraft. The order includes a TotalCare long-term service agreement for the aircraft which will be delivered from 2011.

Nick Devall, Rolls-Royce Executive Vice President Customer Business – Civil Aerospace, said: “THAI is a very important customer and we are delighted that they have once again demonstrated their confidence in Rolls-Royce. The combination of the Trent 700 and the TotalCare support package will deliver to THAI significant reliability and performance benefits to enhance their operation.”

Cette 'déclaration de rituel' n'est pas du bla-bla !

Captain Montree Jumrieng, THAI Managing Director – Technical Department, said: “The Trent 700 has again proven to be the best economic and environmental solution for our A330 fleet. We have had a long and successful partnership with Rolls-Royce and this latest selection will further strengthen our relationship.”

The Trent 700 is the only engine specifically designed for the Airbus A330 and over 1,000 are now in service or on firm order. The engine remains the market leader for the aircraft, capturing 75 per cent of orders over the last three years. The engine offers outstanding levels of performance while delivering the highest available thrust.

THAI, which already operates eight Trent 700-powered A330s, was launch customer for the Trent 800 on the Boeing 777 and now has 20 of the aircraft in its fleet. It also operates ten Trent 500-powered Airbus A340s and has selected the Trent 900 to power six A380 aircraft, with all of the Trent fleet supported by TotalCare.

BOC Aviation orders eight 777s for lease to THAI

Singapore-based aircraft lessor BOC Aviation has placed an order for eight Boeing 777-300ERs to be leased to Thai Airways International on a long-term basis.
Powered by General Electric GE90-115BL engines, the will be delivered from August 2012 to October 2013, says the lessor.
This is the first time that it is working with Thailand's flag carrier, says BOC Aviation, owned by Bank of China.
"These additional Boeing 777-300ERs support Thai's commitment to expanding market presence while delivering profitable growth," says Marlin Dailey, VP of sales and marketing for Boeing Commercial Airplanes.
Including the latest purchase, BOC Aviation has 13 widebody aircraft on firm order and another four on committed purchase and leaseback for delivery through to 2013.
"We are in the process of replenishing our order book as air traffic has returned strongly. With the order of these eight Boeing 777-300ERs for lease to Thai, we have further strengthened the quality of both our lease and aircraft portfolios," says Robert Martin, managing director and CEO, BOC Aviation.

Jeannot a écrit:BOC aviation commande 8 777-300ERs pour les louer à Thai Airways

BOC Aviation orders eight 777s for lease to THAI

Singapore-based aircraft lessor BOC Aviation has placed an order for eight Boeing 777-300ERs to be leased to Thai Airways International on a long-term basis.
Powered by General Electric GE90-115BL engines, the will be delivered from August 2012 to October 2013, says the lessor.
This is the first time that it is working with Thailand's flag carrier, says BOC Aviation, owned by Bank of China.
"These additional Boeing 777-300ERs support Thai's commitment to expanding market presence while delivering profitable growth," says Marlin Dailey, VP of sales and marketing for Boeing Commercial Airplanes.
Including the latest purchase, BOC Aviation has 13 widebody aircraft on firm order and another four on committed purchase and leaseback for delivery through to 2013.
"We are in the process of replenishing our order book as air traffic has returned strongly. With the order of these eight Boeing 777-300ERs for lease to Thai, we have further strengthened the quality of both our lease and aircraft portfolios," says Robert Martin, managing director and CEO, BOC Aviation.

a besoin de

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........B/E Aerospace will supply the first class and economy class seats on the 747s, while EADS Sogerma Services will provide the business class seats.

Panasonic Avionics will supply the in-flight entertainment system and in-seat power supply system.

Thai will also retrofit another six 747s from 2011 to 2012 with new seats and personal in-flight entertainment system screens in economy class. During the same period, it will add personal screens to economy class in eight Boeing 777-200s.

From 2012 to 2017, the carrier will progressively carry out improvements to cabin interiors and in-flight products on six A340-600s, four A340-500s and six 777-200ERs.

January 14, 2011

Thai Airways said on Friday its cabin factor, the percentage of seats sold, was at 73.7 percent in 2010, up 0.8 percentage points from 2009, and it planned to expand its fleet in the next seven years.

Its board has approved plans to take delivery of 26 new aircraft in 2011-2017 --
12 Airbus A330-300s and eight Boeing 777-300ERs plus six Airbus A380-800s, it said in a statement after a board meeting.

As part of a plan to boost efficiency and save costs, Thai Airways will increase the number of planes in its fleet to 105 by the end of 2017 from 85 now.

It plans to buy 37 new planes and boost the number of flights during that period, decommissioning older aircraft.

The airline expected operating revenue growth of 7-10 percent per year in its long-term business plan ending 2017, while growth in passenger numbers should be in line with that of the overall industry at 5 percent, it said.

Thai Airways' cabin factor was 75.3 percent in December, up 4.9 points from November, it said.

Thai also planned to spend THB150 million baht (USD$4.9 million) to raise its stake in its budget airline, Nok Air, to 49 percent from 39 percent.

The airline would buy 5 million shares in Nok Air at 30 baht each from Krung Thai Bank, pending negotiations with the state bank.

The airline will raise employee salaries by 7 percent and pay a bonus worth three months of salary for the improved performance in 2010, it said.

It reported a net profit of THB12.4 billion (USD$407 million) in the first nine months, thanks to cost-cutting and a recovery in tourism after a period of political unrest that ended in May.

(Reuters)

Thai Airways Aims For The Big Leagues

Thai Airways International’s outspoken president, Piyasvasti Amranand, has set the goal of transforming Thai into one of the world’s top five airlines. This will be tough to achieve, but not impossible.
The national carrier’s board this month approved an investment plan for 2011-17 in which 37 aircraft will be acquired to replace older types and aid expansion.
This is in addition to the seven Airbus A330s, eight Boeing 777-300ERs and six A380s the airline already has on order. It is unclear when the board will decide on aircraft types for the additional order, but the widebodies in contention are thes A330, A350, and A380, and 777, 787 and 747-8. Thai also wants to replace its 737-400 narrowbodies, and is looking at new A320s and 737s. It plans to add 11 narrowbodies in all, but some may be leased.
Thai will be hoping the new aircraft will elevate its standing in the minds of consumers. One event that will definitely grab the attention of the public is when Thai takes delivery in the latter part of 2012 of its first three A380s. The remaining three on order are scheduled to be delivered in early 2013.
The national carrier has always had the potential to be one of the world’s top carriers but, unlike rival ­Singapore Airlines, Thai has failed to offer a consistent level of service. Instead it has stumbled over the years and lost its way. This is evident in the make-up of its current fleet. It is still operating A300s, a type that most passenger airlines discarded long ago. There are also five 737-400s, too small a number to make any operational sense. As for widebodies, Thai has failed to keep to one engine manufacturer for each aircraft type. So, for example, some of its A330s are powered by Rolls-Royce engines, and others by Pratt & Whitney’s.
If you speak to Amranand, he will attribute the carrier’s problems over the years to excessive political oversight. Successive Thai governments have appointed the national carrier’s board and president and interfered in the running of the airline, he says. As a consequence, the national carrier has had myriad presidents and board changes.
But Amranand asserts that the status quo is about to change because he is working toward ensuring Thai is no longer a state enterprise. “If we lose the state enterprise status it will make a difference. The prime minister and the finance minister understand this well,” he says, referring to two Democrat Party politicians who also are his political backers.
The plan is for the finance ministry to reduce its Thai stake to 49% from 51% so it will no longer be classified as a state enterprise. Thai was unable to achieve this goal in the past because some of its loans have covenants requiring the finance ministry to be a 51% shareholder, says Amranand. But in recent months Thai has renegotiated many of the loans to have this provision taken out and—now that the airline is recapitalized—Amranand says he is hopeful the others will agree to do likewise.
The airline’s board, meanwhile, has undergone a major shift in how it ­operates. “There was a long history of intervention by the board and the board was doing everything,” says Amranand. “The board members were dividing up various jobs of the airline among themselves. You had one member negotiating with the banks, another doing fleet plans and yet another looking at seats. They were taking over the job of management and management stopped thinking and followed orders. I didn’t join Thai Airways to be chief operating officer but CEO,” he adds.
Amranand is also championing ­better corporate governance, a not-so-subtle reference to his clampdown on corporate corruption. Senior ­executives at the airline say he ­recently put the management team through a corporate governance course that was held over successive weekends. Amranand made a point of attending each class to see who showed up, add the executives.
“Corporate governance is crucial,” says Amranand, adding that bad corporate governance “is a problem in Thai Airways but the situation is improving.” He says management now knows that “no matter how high you are in the company, if you misbehave you cannot stay on with the airline. “This is the most important change I can make. If I don’t change the corporate culture, then when I go the carrier will just revert back to its old ways.”

pascal83 a écrit:
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Publié le 28 juin 2010 à 08h00 par François Duclos dans [Vous devez être inscrit et connecté pour voir ce lien], [Vous devez être inscrit et connecté pour voir ce lien] -

La compagnie aérienne Vietnam Airlines, qui est intéressée par l’achat de quatre Airbus A380, devrait attendre la finalisation de la prochaine version de l’avion géant, l’A380-800, avant de passer commande.

La compagnie aérienne Vietnam Airlines, qui est intéressée par l’achat de quatre Airbus A380, devrait attendre la finalisation de la prochaine version de l’avion géant, l’A380-800, avant de passer commande.

Airbus doit en effet commencer dans quelques mois la production de la version « augmentée » de son A380, dont le premier exemplaire devrait être livré à British Airways en 2013.

Cette nouvelle version, A380-800, verra son poids au décollage augmenter de quatre tonnes à 573 tonnes et son rayon d’action gagner 190 kilomètres à 15 360. Surtout, ces changements lui permettront d’emporter une tonne et demie de cargaison supplémentaire. Une évolution qui aurait été réclamée au constructeur européen par des clients qui considéraient le Boeing 747-8I.

L’évolution de l’A380 passe par un renforcement des structures du fuselage et par des ailes ayant une plus grande souplesse pour améliorer leur aérodynamisme. Ces changements ne pourront être faits a posteriori, les appareils déjà livrés ou en construction ne pourront donc pas en bénéficier. En revanche les réacteurs restent les Rolls Royce Trent 900, qui ne nécessiteront pas d’augmentation de la poussée.

Vietnam Airlines a annoncé qu’elle attendra d’avoir tous les détails techniques de l’A380-800 avant de décider de passer commande ferme des quatre appareils. Airbus aurait déjà promis à la compagnie vietnamienne une livraison de l’A380-800 en 2014 ou 2015, à condition bien sûr qu’elle ne tarde pas trop à signer le contrat. Outre British Airways, Singapore Airlines a également commandé dix exemplaires de la nouvelle version.

Thai Airways may split aircraft order

Airways THAI.BK may split its order for the wide-body aircraft it plans to add to its fleet by 2017 between Airbus and Boeing, the airline's president said.
"The wide-bodies could be A350s and/or 787s, and they could also be supplemented with some 777s," Piyasvasti Amranand told Reuters in an interview on Tuesday.
Thai Airways, 51 percent owned by the Thai Finance Ministry, has said it plans to add 37 aircraft -- 11 narrow-bodies and 26 wide-bodies -- worth about 216 billion Thai baht by 2017 to replace some of its older planes and expand its fleet.
If the carrier decided on some Airbus A350s, it would probably choose the A350-900 as the A350-800 is "too small".
No final decision has been made yet on what types of aircraft the carrier will order as the government first needs to sign off on its plans to acquire more planes.
"The timeframe (for a decision) is probably going to be the middle of this year. The contract signing could come shortly after that," Amranand said.
He said he was happy for Airbus and Boeing to compete for the planned orders, which could be for delivery from 2013.
"Playing one manufacturer off the other can often be a good thing," he said.
The planned narrow-body orders will not be for latest-generation aircraft, he said.
"We need them as soon as possible," Amranand said, adding these aircraft may be added to the fleet by the end of this year.
"These could be A320s, Boeing 737s, something along those lines."
He said the company had not yet decided whether to order more A380 aircraft, in addition to six it has already ordered. "It's very large. It's hard to fill up in the off season."
The orders will boost Thai Airways' fleet to 105 planes from 85 now and reduce the average age of its aircraft to about 8.5 years from 11.5 years.
COPING MECHANISM
Airlines around the world have used a number of strategies to cope with the rising cost of jet fuel, including hedging, dropping less profitable routes and replacing old gas-guzzling aircraft with newer, more efficient ones.
Thai Airways has said soaring oil prices may cause it to review its target for 2011 revenue of about 200 billion baht. Amranand said there was no new target yet.

Thai Airways gives details of 507-seat A380 configuration

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Thai Airways has released details of its planned seating configuration for its forthcoming Airbus A380 aircraft.
Thai plans to seat 507 passengers in three classes: 12 in first, 60 in business, and 435 in economy, according to [Vous devez être inscrit et connecté pour voir ce lien].
As our updated A380 chart, below, indicates, Thai will have the same number of premium seats as Singapore Airlines but more economy seats, suggesting Thai will seat cabins on different decks from Singapore or will be squeezing more seats in.
The A380 may prove a challenge for the carrier, Thai Airways President Piyasvasti Amranand [Vous devez être inscrit et connecté pour voir ce lien]. "It's very large. It's hard to fill up in the off season."

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Thai Airways cleared to pursue $15 billion fleet renewal plan

The Thai government gave Thai Airways the right to decide how it acquires aircraft, clearing the way for the carrier to move forward with a plan to buy or lease up to 75 aircraft over a 12-year period. Thai previously could only acquire aircraft under the direction of Thailand's Transport Ministry, which had pushed for all new acquisitions to be purchases rather than leases. Thai Airways President Piyasvasti Amranand believes the carrier should acquire aircraft through a mix of purchases and leases.
According to the Bangkok Post, the government's decision allows Thai to move forward with a plan to purchase or lease up to 75 aircraft over a 12-year period under a THB457.12 billion ($15.3 billion) budget. Piyasvasti said the airline will acquire new aircraft through a variety of means depending on its cash flow and debt.
The Bangkok Post reported that the aircraft will be acquired in two batches: 37 between now and 2017 and 38 from 2018-2022.
In a related development, the Thai board endorsed the leasing of two Boeing 777-300ERs from India's Jet Airways for two years with deliveries scheduled in October and November. The airline said it will also convert two 747-400s to freighters.

Jeannot a écrit:Thai pourrait partager sa commande entre Airbus et Boeing (350-900 et 787-777)

Thai Airways may split aircraft order

Airways THAI.BK may split its order for the wide-body aircraft it plans to add to its fleet by 2017 between Airbus and Boeing, the airline's president said.
"The wide-bodies could be A350s and/or 787s, and they could also be supplemented with some 777s," Piyasvasti Amranand told Reuters in an interview on Tuesday.
Thai Airways, 51 percent owned by the Thai Finance Ministry, has said it plans to add 37 aircraft -- 11 narrow-bodies and 26 wide-bodies -- worth about 216 billion Thai baht by 2017 to replace some of its older planes and expand its fleet.
If the carrier decided on some Airbus A350s, it would probably choose the A350-900 as the A350-800 is "too small".
No final decision has been made yet on what types of aircraft the carrier will order as the government first needs to sign off on its plans to acquire more planes.

"The timeframe (for a decision) is probably going to be the middle of this year. The contract signing could come shortly after that," Amranand said.

He said he was happy for Airbus and Boeing to compete for the planned orders, which could be for delivery from 2013.
"Playing one manufacturer off the other can often be a good thing," he said.

The planned narrow-body orders will not be for latest-generation aircraft, he said.
"We need them as soon as possible," Amranand said, adding these aircraft may be added to the fleet by the end of this year.
"These could be A320s, Boeing 737s, something along those lines."

He said the company had not yet decided whether to order more A380 aircraft, in addition to six it has already ordered. "It's very large. It's hard to fill up in the off season."
The orders will boost Thai Airways' fleet to 105 planes from 85 now and reduce the average age of its aircraft to about 8.5 years from 11.5 years.

COPING MECHANISM

Airlines around the world have used a number of strategies to cope with the rising cost of jet fuel, including hedging, dropping less profitable routes and replacing old gas-guzzling aircraft with newer, more efficient ones.
Thai Airways has said soaring oil prices may cause it to review its target for 2011 revenue of about 200 billion baht. Amranand said there was no new target yet.

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Jeannot a écrit:Thai Airways autorisée à lancer son plan de renouvellement de sa flotte (qui se fera en 2 phases (37 avions sur 2011-2017 et 38 sur 2018-2022))

Thai Airways cleared to pursue $15 billion fleet renewal plan

The Thai government gave Thai Airways the right to decide how it acquires aircraft, clearing the way for the carrier to move forward with a plan to buy or lease up to 75 aircraft over a 12-year period. Thai previously could only acquire aircraft under the direction of Thailand's Transport Ministry, which had pushed for all new acquisitions to be purchases rather than leases. Thai Airways President Piyasvasti Amranand believes the carrier should acquire aircraft through a mix of purchases and leases.

According to the Bangkok Post, the government's decision allows Thai to move forward with a plan to purchase or lease up to 75 aircraft over a 12-year period under a THB457.12 billion ($15.3 billion) budget. Piyasvasti said the airline will acquire new aircraft through a variety of means depending on its cash flow and debt.

In a related development, the Thai board endorsed the leasing of two Boeing 777-300ERs from India's Jet Airways for two years with deliveries scheduled in October and November. The airline said it will also convert two 747-400s to freighters.

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