The CEO of Thai Airways International told FlightGlobal at the IATA annual general meeting in Istanbul that the company is working to lease more aircraft to accommodate the huge rise in demand following the pandemic.
With deliveries starting in 2025, five Airbus A321neos will be leased. Additionally, the airline is looking to lease five more of the same model. It’s interesting to note that the aircraft will be flown by Thai Airways International and not its subsidiary Thai Smile, meaning a narrowbody aircraft will now be part of the mainline fleet.
Eleven further A350-900s, of which two have already been delivered, have also been leased by Thai Airways. These two, HS-THO (351) and HS-THP (355), are under lease from Avolon and were initially going to serve Hainan Airlines.
In addition to these leases, it’s also been reported that the airline is in talks with both Airbus and Boeing for more planes to increase capacity.
The fleet of Thai Airways consists of six Boeing B777-200ERs, seventeen B777-300ERs, six Boeing B787-8s, and two Boeing B787-9s. Twenty A320s are in the fleet of Thai Smile’s subsidiary.
