Thai Airways International
Encyclopedia
Thai Airways International Public Company Limited is the national flag carrier
and largest airline
of Thailand
. Formed in 1988, the airline's headquarters are located in Chatuchak District, Bangkok
, and operates out of Suvarnabhumi Airport
. Thai is a founding member of the Star Alliance
. Thai is a major shareholder which hold 39% shares of Nok Air
—a low-cost
Bangkok-based carrier
. In August 2010, Thai announced to own 51% of a joint venture for a low-cost airline based in Thailand, with Tiger Airways
owning the remaining 49%.
From its hub at Suvarnabhumi Airport
, Thai flies to 72 destinations in 35 countries, using a fleet of 91 aircraft. The airline operates one of the 10 longest non-stop commercial flights
.The airline operates one of the longest non-stop commercial flights
of Boeing 777-200
from Bangkok to Brisbane
. Thai Airways International was the first Asia-Pacific airline to serve London Heathrow Airport
. Among East Asian carriers, Thai Airways has one of the largest passenger operations in Europe.
Skytrax
awarded Thai Airways International Worlds Best Cabin Staff and The Best Airline in the World in 2006, while placing second in the Airline of the Year category in 2007. Thai's first class lounge at Suvarnabhumi Airport was awarded World's Best First Class Lounge by Skytrax in 2009. Thai Airways International has received an award for the excellence of its inflight hygiene measures by the World Health Organization
.
Thai Airways International is currently an official sponsor of Football Association of Thailand
.
Thai Airways International has its origins in 1960, when the airline was a result of a joint venture between Scandinavian Airlines System
(SAS) which held a 30 percent share capital of 2 million Baht, and Thailand
's domestic carrier, Thai Airways Company to create an international wing for Thai Airways. SAS also provided operations, managerial and marketing expertise, with training assistance aiming at building a fully independent national airline within the shortest possible time. Thai nationals, through training and experience, were gradually able to assume full managerial responsibility and the number of expatriate staff duly reduced until, in 1987, expatriates accounted for less than one percent of staff based in Thailand.
The carrier's first revenue-raising flight was on 1 May 1960. Flights were operated to nine overseas Asian destinations from Bangkok. The first intercontinental services started in 1971 to Australia
, then to Europe the following year. Services to North America commenced 1980.
On 1 April 1977, after 17 years of capital participation by SAS, the Thai government bought out the remaining 15% of SAS-owned shares and Thai became an airline fully owned by the Thai government.
On 1 April 1988, Thai Airways Company or TAC, which was the operator of all domestic flights, and the international division, on behalf of the then-Prime Minister Gen. Prem Tinsulanonda
, in a goal to have a single national carrier, merged to form the present company, Thai Airways International.
On 25 June 1991, Thai listed its shares on the Stock Exchange of Thailand and offered them to the public. The Thai public offering of shares is the largest ever undertaken in the country.
On 14 May 1997, Thai, along with Lufthansa
, Air Canada
, Scandinavian Airlines System
and United Airlines
, founded the world's first and now the largest airline alliance
named Star Alliance
.
In 2002, THAI first operated to Chengdu
, Busan
, Chennai
, Xiamen
, and Milan
.
In 2005, THAI started to operate a direct flight from Bangkok
to New York
with its brand new A340-500
started in May. Citing very high fuel costs, Thai discontinued the JFK service in July 2008, even though the airline had been able to fill 80% of the seats. Later in November, THAI began to served Moscow
and Islamabad
.
In 2006, THAI moved its operations to the new Bangkok Suvarnabhumi Airport
on 28 September 2006. It also started to operate new routes to Hyderabad and Johannesburg
in October.
In 2007, THAI started to operate seasonal flighs to Gaya
and Varanasi
in India
.
In 2008, THAI opened the service to Koh Samui in February. This is the 11th domestic destination the airline serves. In the same year, the airline began to provide a direct flight from Tokyo
-Narita
to Phuket
in July.
In 2009, THAI began to provide a direct flight to Oslo
, Norway
in June. The airline also started to operate a direct flight between Phuket
and Hong Kong
in October.
In 2010, THAI opened new route to Tokyo
-Haneda. This is the fifth destinations of THAI in Japan
.
THAI will start to provide a direct flight from Copenhagen
to Phuket
and temporarily resume Bangkok
- Phitsanulok
flight in October 2011 due to 2011 Thailand floods
. In November 2011 the airline will resume its Bangkok
- Brussels
flight.
Thai Airways has announced that it is trying to sell its fleet of four Airbus A340
-500 aircraft which was used to fly between Bangkok and New York, but has not yet done so due to the world economic crisis and the weak market for an aircraft with a relatively high seat-mile-cost. The Airbus A340-500s were used for flights between Bangkok and Oslo for some months during 2009, and currently operates flights from Bangkok to Tokyo (Haneda) and Los Angeles. All four airliners will stay in the fleet and might be reconfigured and deployed on other profitable routes.
In an interview Mr. Wallop, one of Thai's board of directors, stated that it is "unavoidable" for the airline to resume flights to New York because A340-500s are still there. The plan is to make all planes better utilized, add more seats and move from John F. Kennedy International Airport
to Newark Liberty International Airport
, which is a hub of new Star Alliance member, Continental Airlines
. As of December 2010, no plans have been confirmed regarding additional services to the United States.
In addition to some fellow Star Alliance
member airlines, Thai codeshares with these following:
* At maximum stay of 21 days for passengers traveling between domestic points within Japan on TG-Marketing flights code shared with Japan Airlines
.
The airline will phase-out its 6 oldest Boeing 747-400 aircraft between 2012 and 2013, 10 Airbus A300-600 between 2010 and 2013, 3 Boeing 737-400 between 2010 and 2014, and 2 ATR-72 in 2010. The airline also expects to discontinue its leasing arrangement for Jet Airways' three Boeing 777-300ERs by 2013.
The 9 government-approved aircraft deliveries include 8 Airbus A330-300 aircraft (7 of which have been delivered and 1 of which await seating installation) and 6 Airbus A380-800 aircraft scheduled for delivery between 2012 and 2013.
Thai will acquire an additional 7 Airbus A330s between 2011 and 2013 for regional routes, and 8 Boeing 777-300ERs between 2012 and 2013 for intercontinental routes. Thai has indicated that the intercontinental routes served by these new aircraft would be Copenhagen, Stockholm, Los Angeles and Oslo, and the regional routes to be served by the new A330s include Perth, Dubai, Shanghai, Taipei, Mumbai (Bombay), Kolkata (Calcutta), and Bengaluru (Bangalore).
On 13 June 2011, Thai's Board of Directors announced they would purchase 15 aircraft and acquire the remaining 22 on operating leases. The purchased planes include six Boeing 777-300ERs, to be delivered in 2014 and 2015, four Airbus A350-900s (2016 and 2017) and five Airbus A320-200s (2014 and 2015). The leased planes include six 787-8s and two 787-9s from US lessor International Lease Finance (ILFC). The -8s will be delivered in 2014 and 2015, while the -9s will be delivered in 2017. In addition, Thai will lease six A350-900s from Aviation Lease and Finance, to be delivered in 2017, and two A350-900s from CIT Aerospace International, which will deliver the aircraft in 2016. The airline will also lease six A320-200s from RBS Aerospace International, to be delivered in 2012 and 2013. All the operating leases have terms of 12 years each, said THAI.
Don Mueang International Airport and Suvarnabhumi Airport
for its own aircraft and aircraft belonging to other airlines.
Thai Technical is certified internationally Federal Aviation Administration
, Joint Aviation Authorities
, Requalifier Identification Certificate From United States Department of Transportation
only U-Tapao International Airport
and Suvarnabhumi Airport
and Japan Civil Aviation Bureau for facilities at Don Mueang International Airport and Suvarnabhumi Airport
European Aviation Safety Agency
Part-145 Maintenance Organisation Approval
It is certified domestically by Department of Civil Aviation (Thailand)
for all its facilities located in Thailand: U-Tapao International Airport
; Don Mueang International Airport; and Suvarnabhumi Airport
In February, 27 1998 the Department received its ISO 9002 certification from Bureau Veritas Quality International and ISO 14001 certification in 16 March 2001 for the whole department and for its New Aircraft Maintenance Facility at U-TAPAO Airport have from Bureau Veritas Quality International
Thai Airways International is the first airline to install hospital grade air-filter True HEPA capable of intercepting up to 99.999% of dust particles and micro organisms on every flight.
The World Health Organization
awarded Thai Airways International a plaque for the implementation of the in-cabin management system in 2004. It was the first award of its kind to be presented to private organization.
,Thai Airways provides the awarded Royal First lounges.Also,they offers a Royal Orchid Spa which provides massage. This service is available for Royal First and Royal Silk passengers only(visitor are not allowed to use this service).
On 30 September 2008 Thai Airways's Ground services Department received Certificate ISO 14001 from Bureau Veritas Certification
On 4 January 2011 The airline has been providing the service for check-in service at Bangkok City Air Terminal at Makkasan Station Suvarnabhumi Airport Link for passengers and their baggage flying THAI domestic and international flights.
Ground services department thai airways have Best Airport Services and Best Airline Lounge – First Class at the 2010 Skytrax
World Airline Awards.
. The aircraft offers eight single flat-bed seats with a separate foot rest. Thai's 12 retrofitted Boeing 747-400s are also equipped with this seat, mostly serving Europe and some intra-Asian flights. The new seats are equipped with lumbar massage and 10.4" touch screens with AVOD and IFE system. Passengers in Royal First class can pick from 22 available meals, which can be pre-ordered before flight. With the introduction of Thai Airways' new B777-300ERs leased from Jet Airways, THAI has introduced fully enclosed first class suites on select flights to Paris and Tokyo (Narita).
On long-haul routes Bangkok – Copenhagen
and Bangkok – Stockholm
,Bangkok – Hong Kong
(TG600/601 Monday & Thursday), Thai operates B747-400 aircraft with its oldest first class product. These seats are sold as Business class seats.
On some Medium-haul routes such as Bangkok – Singapore
,(TG413/414 Occasionally TG409/410 Often), Bangkok – Beijing
, Bangkok – Hong Kong
(TG606/607), Bangkok –Denpasar
, the B747-400 Version B747 with the previous generation old First Class seats are used. On select domestic flights operating between Bangkok, Chiang Mai
, and Phuket, Thai uses B747-400 aircraft with either its standard first class product or its older first class product, though these seats are sold as business class seats. At present, standard Royal First Class is offered on flights between Bangkok and Madrid
, Zurich
(Often), Milan
(Rarely), Frankfurt
, Rome
, London
, Tokyo
(TG640/641 only), Hong Kong
(TG600/601, 606/607 only), Singapore
(TG413/414 Occasionally TG409/410 Often). Select Royal First Class is offered on flights with A340-600 between Bangkok and Sydney
, Zurich
.
A340-500
aircraft. The first series of shell, angled lie-flat business class seats were installed on 12 Boeing 747-400
aircraft, all Boeing 777-200
aircraft, and all Airbus A340
aircraft. A newer set of seats was then installed on all Boeing 777-300
aircraft, all Boeing 777-200ER
aircraft, and select Airbus A330-343X
aircraft (registrations HS-TEN and later). On these aircraft, the pitch is 60"-62" between seats and the width is 20"-21.5". When fully reclined (electrically adjusted) the seat becomes completely flat, but angled. The seat can perform lumbar massage. All seats are equipped with a 10.4" or 15" (newer version) touch screen with AVOD and IFE. On select flights from Bangkok to Paris and Tokyo (Narita), Thai uses Boeing 777-300ER aircraft leased from Jet Airways, which include fully lie-flat seating in a Herringbone layout.
On some long-haul routes such as Bangkok – Copenhagen
, Bangkok – Stockholm
, the B747-400 Version B747 with the previous generation Old Business Class seats are used; therefore the seats are sold under Premium Economy Class fare. On some Medium-haul routes such as Bangkok – Delhi
(TG315/316 Only), Bangkok – Beijing
, Bangkok – Hong Kong
(TG600/601 Monday & Thursday), Bangkok – Singapore
(TG413/414 Occasionally TG409/410 Often), the B747-400 Version B747 with the previous generation old Business Class seats are used. On domestic routes from Bangkok - Chiang Mai
(TG102/3,TG116/7only) and Bangkok - Phuket (TG201/202, 203/204, 217/218, 221/222 only) are used on all version in Boeing 747-400 and Airbus A340-600 with the New Business Class on the Airbus A340-600 and Boeing B747-400 version 744 but also on the 747 Old Business Class seats as well.
Premium Economy Class is currently only available on Airbus A340-500
aircraft, however business class seats on Thai's Boeing 747s
that are yet to be refurbished are sold as Premium Economy.
, 777-300
and 777-200ER
aircraft, 2-4-2 in Airbus A340-500
, A340-600
, A330-343X
and Airbus A300-622R aircraft, 3-4-3 in Boeing 747-400
aircraft. All Economy seats in Airbus A340-500
, Airbus A340-600
, Airbus A330-300
, Boeing 777-200ER
, 777-300
and the leased Boeing 777-300ERs have individual Audio-Video On Demand (AVOD) 9" touch screens. Thai's newer A330-343X
aircraft scheduled for delivery through 2010 and beyond also include AVOD in the Economy cabins. THAI also expects to complete a refurbishment of its existing Boeing 747-400s and Boeing 777-200s to include AVOD in the Economy cabins by the end of 2012.
Thai Airways International's Royal Orchid Plus is the airline's frequent flyer program. It has a membership of over two million people.
Earning miles
There are two types of mile which can be earned towards a Royal Orchid Plus account.
Firstly, Eligible Qualifying Miles (EQM) this type of mileage is earned on:
Qualifying Miles (Q Miles) are the miles flown and additional class of service miles on Thai and Star Alliance airlines. Royal Orchid Plus miles are earned based on the paid class of travel.
Secondly, Partner Miles are earned from non-airline partners, such as hotels.
Status Tiers
There are four tiers in the Royal Orchid Plus program
Flag carrier
A flag carrier is a transportation company, such as an airline or shipping company, that, being locally registered in a given country, enjoys preferential rights or privileges, accorded by the government, for international operations. It may be a state-run, state-owned or private but...
and largest airline
Airline
An airline provides air transport services for traveling passengers and freight. Airlines lease or own their aircraft with which to supply these services and may form partnerships or alliances with other airlines for mutual benefit...
of Thailand
Thailand
Thailand , officially the Kingdom of Thailand , formerly known as Siam , is a country located at the centre of the Indochina peninsula and Southeast Asia. It is bordered to the north by Burma and Laos, to the east by Laos and Cambodia, to the south by the Gulf of Thailand and Malaysia, and to the...
. Formed in 1988, the airline's headquarters are located in Chatuchak District, Bangkok
Bangkok
Bangkok is the capital and largest urban area city in Thailand. It is known in Thai as Krung Thep Maha Nakhon or simply Krung Thep , meaning "city of angels." The full name of Bangkok is Krung Thep Mahanakhon Amon Rattanakosin Mahintharayutthaya Mahadilok Phop Noppharat Ratchathani Burirom...
, and operates out of Suvarnabhumi Airport
Suvarnabhumi Airport
Suvarnabhumi Airport , also known as Bangkok International Airport, is an international airport serving Bangkok, Thailand. It was officially opened for limited domestic flight service on 15 September 2006, and opened for most domestic and all international commercial flights on 28 September...
. Thai is a founding member of the Star Alliance
Star Alliance
Star Alliance is the world's first and largest airline alliance, headquartered in Frankfurt am Main, Germany . The alliance was founded in 1997 by five of the world's leading airlines: Air Canada, Lufthansa, Scandinavian Airlines, Thai Airways International and United Airlines...
. Thai is a major shareholder which hold 39% shares of Nok Air
Nok Air
Nok Air , the Thai word for bird) is a low-cost airline headquartered in Sathorn, Bangkok, Thailand, operating domestic and international services out of Bangkok Don Mueang Airport. Nok Air is the budget airline of Thai Airways International...
—a low-cost
Low-cost carrier
A low-cost carrier or low-cost airline is an airline that generally has lower fares and fewer comforts...
Bangkok-based carrier
Common carrier
A common carrier in common-law countries is a person or company that transports goods or people for any person or company and that is responsible for any possible loss of the goods during transport...
. In August 2010, Thai announced to own 51% of a joint venture for a low-cost airline based in Thailand, with Tiger Airways
Tiger Airways
Tiger Airways Singapore Pte Ltd, operating as Tiger Airways Singapore, is a low cost airline which commenced services on 25 March 2005. It is a subsidiary of Tiger Airways Holdings, a Singapore-based company, which is owned partially by Singapore Airlines...
owning the remaining 49%.
From its hub at Suvarnabhumi Airport
Suvarnabhumi Airport
Suvarnabhumi Airport , also known as Bangkok International Airport, is an international airport serving Bangkok, Thailand. It was officially opened for limited domestic flight service on 15 September 2006, and opened for most domestic and all international commercial flights on 28 September...
, Thai flies to 72 destinations in 35 countries, using a fleet of 91 aircraft. The airline operates one of the 10 longest non-stop commercial flights
Non-stop flight
A non-stop flight, especially in the aviation industry, refers to any flight by an aircraft which does not involve any intermediate stops. A "direct flight" is not the same as a "non-stop flight"...
.The airline operates one of the longest non-stop commercial flights
Non-stop flight
A non-stop flight, especially in the aviation industry, refers to any flight by an aircraft which does not involve any intermediate stops. A "direct flight" is not the same as a "non-stop flight"...
of Boeing 777-200
Boeing 777
The Boeing 777 is a long-range, wide-body twin-engine jet airliner manufactured by Boeing Commercial Airplanes. It is the world's largest twinjet and is commonly referred to as the "Triple Seven". The aircraft has seating for over 300 passengers and has a range from , depending on model...
from Bangkok to Brisbane
Brisbane
Brisbane is the capital and most populous city in the Australian state of Queensland and the third most populous city in Australia. Brisbane's metropolitan area has a population of over 2 million, and the South East Queensland urban conurbation, centred around Brisbane, encompasses a population of...
. Thai Airways International was the first Asia-Pacific airline to serve London Heathrow Airport
London Heathrow Airport
London Heathrow Airport or Heathrow , in the London Borough of Hillingdon, is the busiest airport in the United Kingdom and the third busiest airport in the world in terms of total passenger traffic, handling more international passengers than any other airport around the globe...
. Among East Asian carriers, Thai Airways has one of the largest passenger operations in Europe.
Skytrax
Skytrax
Skytrax is a United Kingdom-based consultancy, the public face of Inflight Research Services, which has the largest airline and airport review and ranking site. It conducts research for commercial airlines...
awarded Thai Airways International Worlds Best Cabin Staff and The Best Airline in the World in 2006, while placing second in the Airline of the Year category in 2007. Thai's first class lounge at Suvarnabhumi Airport was awarded World's Best First Class Lounge by Skytrax in 2009. Thai Airways International has received an award for the excellence of its inflight hygiene measures by the World Health Organization
World Health Organization
The World Health Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations that acts as a coordinating authority on international public health. Established on 7 April 1948, with headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland, the agency inherited the mandate and resources of its predecessor, the Health...
.
Thai Airways International is currently an official sponsor of Football Association of Thailand
Football Association of Thailand
The Football Association of Thailand or the full name is the Football Association of Thailand under Patronage of His Majesty the King is the governing body of football in Thailand. It was founded in 25 April 1916 and then joined FIFA in 23 June 1925 and AFC in 1957.Recently the FAT has been...
.
History
- Early beginning
Thai Airways International has its origins in 1960, when the airline was a result of a joint venture between Scandinavian Airlines System
Scandinavian Airlines System
Scandinavian Airlines or SAS, previously Scandinavian Airlines System, is the flag carrier of Denmark, Norway and Sweden, and the largest airline in Scandinavia....
(SAS) which held a 30 percent share capital of 2 million Baht, and Thailand
Thailand
Thailand , officially the Kingdom of Thailand , formerly known as Siam , is a country located at the centre of the Indochina peninsula and Southeast Asia. It is bordered to the north by Burma and Laos, to the east by Laos and Cambodia, to the south by the Gulf of Thailand and Malaysia, and to the...
's domestic carrier, Thai Airways Company to create an international wing for Thai Airways. SAS also provided operations, managerial and marketing expertise, with training assistance aiming at building a fully independent national airline within the shortest possible time. Thai nationals, through training and experience, were gradually able to assume full managerial responsibility and the number of expatriate staff duly reduced until, in 1987, expatriates accounted for less than one percent of staff based in Thailand.
The carrier's first revenue-raising flight was on 1 May 1960. Flights were operated to nine overseas Asian destinations from Bangkok. The first intercontinental services started in 1971 to Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
, then to Europe the following year. Services to North America commenced 1980.
- End of Joint Venture with SAS
On 1 April 1977, after 17 years of capital participation by SAS, the Thai government bought out the remaining 15% of SAS-owned shares and Thai became an airline fully owned by the Thai government.
- One national airline policy
On 1 April 1988, Thai Airways Company or TAC, which was the operator of all domestic flights, and the international division, on behalf of the then-Prime Minister Gen. Prem Tinsulanonda
Prem Tinsulanonda
General Prem Tinsulanonda is a retired Thai military officer who served as Prime Minister of Thailand from March 3, 1980 to August 4, 1988. He now serves as the Head of the Privy Council of the King of Thailand, Bhumibol Adulyadej....
, in a goal to have a single national carrier, merged to form the present company, Thai Airways International.
- 1990's
On 25 June 1991, Thai listed its shares on the Stock Exchange of Thailand and offered them to the public. The Thai public offering of shares is the largest ever undertaken in the country.
On 14 May 1997, Thai, along with Lufthansa
Lufthansa
Deutsche Lufthansa AG is the flag carrier of Germany and the largest airline in Europe in terms of overall passengers carried. The name of the company is derived from Luft , and Hansa .The airline is the world's fourth-largest airline in terms of overall passengers carried, operating...
, Air Canada
Air Canada
Air Canada is the flag carrier and largest airline of Canada. The airline, founded in 1936, provides scheduled and charter air transport for passengers and cargo to 178 destinations worldwide. It is the world's tenth largest passenger airline by number of destinations, and the airline is a...
, Scandinavian Airlines System
Scandinavian Airlines System
Scandinavian Airlines or SAS, previously Scandinavian Airlines System, is the flag carrier of Denmark, Norway and Sweden, and the largest airline in Scandinavia....
and United Airlines
United Airlines
United Air Lines, Inc., is the world's largest airline with 86,852 employees United Air Lines, Inc., is the world's largest airline with 86,852 employees United Air Lines, Inc., is the world's largest airline with 86,852 employees (which includes the entire holding company United Continental...
, founded the world's first and now the largest airline alliance
Airline alliance
An airline alliance is an agreement between two or more airlines to cooperate on a substantial level. The three largest passenger alliances are the Star Alliance, SkyTeam and Oneworld. Alliances also form between cargo airlines, such as that of WOW Alliance, SkyTeam Cargo and ANA/UPS Alliance...
named Star Alliance
Star Alliance
Star Alliance is the world's first and largest airline alliance, headquartered in Frankfurt am Main, Germany . The alliance was founded in 1997 by five of the world's leading airlines: Air Canada, Lufthansa, Scandinavian Airlines, Thai Airways International and United Airlines...
.
- 2000's
In 2002, THAI first operated to Chengdu
Chengdu
Chengdu , formerly transliterated Chengtu, is the capital of Sichuan province in Southwest China. It holds sub-provincial administrative status...
, Busan
Busan
Busan , formerly spelled Pusan is South Korea's second largest metropolis after Seoul, with a population of around 3.6 million. The Metropolitan area population is 4,399,515 as of 2010. It is the largest port city in South Korea and the fifth largest port in the world...
, Chennai
Chennai
Chennai , formerly known as Madras or Madarasapatinam , is the capital city of the Indian state of Tamil Nadu, located on the Coromandel Coast off the Bay of Bengal. Chennai is the fourth most populous metropolitan area and the sixth most populous city in India...
, Xiamen
Xiamen
Xiamen , also known as Amoy , is a major city on the southeast coast of the People's Republic of China. It is administered as a sub-provincial city of Fujian province with an area of and population of 3.53 million...
, and Milan
Milan
Milan is the second-largest city in Italy and the capital city of the region of Lombardy and of the province of Milan. The city proper has a population of about 1.3 million, while its urban area, roughly coinciding with its administrative province and the bordering Province of Monza and Brianza ,...
.
In 2005, THAI started to operate a direct flight from Bangkok
Bangkok
Bangkok is the capital and largest urban area city in Thailand. It is known in Thai as Krung Thep Maha Nakhon or simply Krung Thep , meaning "city of angels." The full name of Bangkok is Krung Thep Mahanakhon Amon Rattanakosin Mahintharayutthaya Mahadilok Phop Noppharat Ratchathani Burirom...
to New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
with its brand new A340-500
Airbus A340
The Airbus A340 is a long-range four-engine wide-body commercial passenger jet airliner. Developed by Airbus Industrie,A consortium of European aerospace companies, Airbus is now fully owned by EADS and since 2001 has been known as Airbus SAS. a consortium of European aerospace companies, which is...
started in May. Citing very high fuel costs, Thai discontinued the JFK service in July 2008, even though the airline had been able to fill 80% of the seats. Later in November, THAI began to served Moscow
Moscow
Moscow is the capital, the most populous city, and the most populous federal subject of Russia. The city is a major political, economic, cultural, scientific, religious, financial, educational, and transportation centre of Russia and the continent...
and Islamabad
Islamabad
Islamabad is the capital of Pakistan and the tenth largest city in the country. Located within the Islamabad Capital Territory , the population of the city has grown from 100,000 in 1951 to 1.7 million in 2011...
.
In 2006, THAI moved its operations to the new Bangkok Suvarnabhumi Airport
Suvarnabhumi Airport
Suvarnabhumi Airport , also known as Bangkok International Airport, is an international airport serving Bangkok, Thailand. It was officially opened for limited domestic flight service on 15 September 2006, and opened for most domestic and all international commercial flights on 28 September...
on 28 September 2006. It also started to operate new routes to Hyderabad and Johannesburg
Johannesburg
Johannesburg also known as Jozi, Jo'burg or Egoli, is the largest city in South Africa, by population. Johannesburg is the provincial capital of Gauteng, the wealthiest province in South Africa, having the largest economy of any metropolitan region in Sub-Saharan Africa...
in October.
In 2007, THAI started to operate seasonal flighs to Gaya
Gaya, India
Gaya is the second largest city of Bihar, India, and it is also the headquarters of Gaya District.Gaya is 100 kilometers south of Patna, the capital city of Bihar. Situated on the banks of Falgu River , it is a place sanctified by both the Hindu and the Buddhist religions...
and Varanasi
Varanasi
-Etymology:The name Varanasi has its origin possibly from the names of the two rivers Varuna and Assi, for the old city lies in the north shores of the Ganga bounded by its two tributaries, the Varuna and the Asi, with the Ganges being to its south...
in India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
.
In 2008, THAI opened the service to Koh Samui in February. This is the 11th domestic destination the airline serves. In the same year, the airline began to provide a direct flight from Tokyo
Tokyo
, ; officially , is one of the 47 prefectures of Japan. Tokyo is the capital of Japan, the center of the Greater Tokyo Area, and the largest metropolitan area of Japan. It is the seat of the Japanese government and the Imperial Palace, and the home of the Japanese Imperial Family...
-Narita
Narita International Airport
is an international airport serving the Greater Tokyo Area of Japan. It is located east of Tokyo Station and east-southeast of Narita Station in the city of Narita, and the adjacent town of Shibayama....
to Phuket
Phuket Province
Phuket , formerly known as Thalang and, in Western sources, Junk Ceylon , is one of the southern provinces of Thailand...
in July.
In 2009, THAI began to provide a direct flight to Oslo
Oslo
Oslo is a municipality, as well as the capital and most populous city in Norway. As a municipality , it was established on 1 January 1838. Founded around 1048 by King Harald III of Norway, the city was largely destroyed by fire in 1624. The city was moved under the reign of Denmark–Norway's King...
, Norway
Norway
Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...
in June. The airline also started to operate a direct flight between Phuket
Phuket Province
Phuket , formerly known as Thalang and, in Western sources, Junk Ceylon , is one of the southern provinces of Thailand...
and Hong Kong
Hong Kong
Hong Kong is one of two Special Administrative Regions of the People's Republic of China , the other being Macau. A city-state situated on China's south coast and enclosed by the Pearl River Delta and South China Sea, it is renowned for its expansive skyline and deep natural harbour...
in October.
In 2010, THAI opened new route to Tokyo
Tokyo
, ; officially , is one of the 47 prefectures of Japan. Tokyo is the capital of Japan, the center of the Greater Tokyo Area, and the largest metropolitan area of Japan. It is the seat of the Japanese government and the Imperial Palace, and the home of the Japanese Imperial Family...
-Haneda. This is the fifth destinations of THAI in Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
.
THAI will start to provide a direct flight from Copenhagen
Copenhagen
Copenhagen is the capital and largest city of Denmark, with an urban population of 1,199,224 and a metropolitan population of 1,930,260 . With the completion of the transnational Øresund Bridge in 2000, Copenhagen has become the centre of the increasingly integrating Øresund Region...
to Phuket
Phuket Province
Phuket , formerly known as Thalang and, in Western sources, Junk Ceylon , is one of the southern provinces of Thailand...
and temporarily resume Bangkok
Bangkok
Bangkok is the capital and largest urban area city in Thailand. It is known in Thai as Krung Thep Maha Nakhon or simply Krung Thep , meaning "city of angels." The full name of Bangkok is Krung Thep Mahanakhon Amon Rattanakosin Mahintharayutthaya Mahadilok Phop Noppharat Ratchathani Burirom...
- Phitsanulok
Phitsanulok
Phitsanulok is an important and historic city in lower northern Thailand and is the capital of Phitsanulok Province, which stretches all the way to the Laotian border. Phitsanulok is one of the oldest cities in Thailand, founded over 600 years ago...
flight in October 2011 due to 2011 Thailand floods
2011 Thailand floods
Major floods are occurring during the 2011 monsoon season in Thailand, most severely in the Chao Phraya but also in the Mekong River basin. Beginning in late July and continuing for over three months, the floods have caused 602 reported deaths by early November, affected over 2.3 million people,...
. In November 2011 the airline will resume its Bangkok
Bangkok
Bangkok is the capital and largest urban area city in Thailand. It is known in Thai as Krung Thep Maha Nakhon or simply Krung Thep , meaning "city of angels." The full name of Bangkok is Krung Thep Mahanakhon Amon Rattanakosin Mahintharayutthaya Mahadilok Phop Noppharat Ratchathani Burirom...
- Brussels
Brussels
Brussels , officially the Brussels Region or Brussels-Capital Region , is the capital of Belgium and the de facto capital of the European Union...
flight.
Financial trouble
After achieving profitability for the previous 40 years, Thai recorded a loss for the first time in 2008 at around 21 billion Baht (US $675 million) on high fuel costs and Thailand's political situation. As of Q2 of 2009, after a series of restructuring initiatives, the carrier returned to a net profit of 2.5 billion Baht.Airbus A340
The Airbus A340 is a long-range four-engine wide-body commercial passenger jet airliner. Developed by Airbus Industrie,A consortium of European aerospace companies, Airbus is now fully owned by EADS and since 2001 has been known as Airbus SAS. a consortium of European aerospace companies, which is...
-500 aircraft which was used to fly between Bangkok and New York, but has not yet done so due to the world economic crisis and the weak market for an aircraft with a relatively high seat-mile-cost. The Airbus A340-500s were used for flights between Bangkok and Oslo for some months during 2009, and currently operates flights from Bangkok to Tokyo (Haneda) and Los Angeles. All four airliners will stay in the fleet and might be reconfigured and deployed on other profitable routes.
In an interview Mr. Wallop, one of Thai's board of directors, stated that it is "unavoidable" for the airline to resume flights to New York because A340-500s are still there. The plan is to make all planes better utilized, add more seats and move from John F. Kennedy International Airport
John F. Kennedy International Airport
John F. Kennedy International Airport is an international airport located in the borough of Queens in New York City, about southeast of Lower Manhattan. It is the busiest international air passenger gateway to the United States, handling more international traffic than any other airport in North...
to Newark Liberty International Airport
Newark Liberty International Airport
Newark Liberty International Airport , first named Newark Metropolitan Airport and later Newark International Airport, is an international airport within the city limits of both Newark and Elizabeth, New Jersey, United States...
, which is a hub of new Star Alliance member, Continental Airlines
Continental Airlines
Continental Airlines was a major American airline now merged with United Airlines. On May 3, 2010, Continental Airlines, Inc. and UAL, Inc. announced a merger via a stock swap, and on October 1, 2010, the merger closed and UAL changed its name to United Continental Holdings, Inc...
. As of December 2010, no plans have been confirmed regarding additional services to the United States.
Codeshare agreements
Star Alliance
Star Alliance is the world's first and largest airline alliance, headquartered in Frankfurt am Main, Germany . The alliance was founded in 1997 by five of the world's leading airlines: Air Canada, Lufthansa, Scandinavian Airlines, Thai Airways International and United Airlines...
member airlines, Thai codeshares with these following:
|
Gulf Air Gulf Air is the principal flag carrier of the Kingdom of Bahrain. Headquartered in Muharraq, adjacent to Bahrain International Airport, the airline operates scheduled services to 45 destinations in 28 countries across Africa, Asia and Europe. Its main base is Bahrain International Airport... Japan Airlines is an airline headquartered in Shinagawa, Tokyo, Japan. It is the flag carrier of Japan and its main hubs are Tokyo's Narita International Airport and Tokyo International Airport , as well as Nagoya's Chūbu Centrair International Airport and Osaka's Kansai International Airport... (Oneworld) Japan Transocean Air , or JTA, is an airline based in Naha, Okinawa Prefecture, Japan. It operates domestic services. Its main base is Naha Airport.- History :... (Oneworld) Lufthansa Deutsche Lufthansa AG is the flag carrier of Germany and the largest airline in Europe in terms of overall passengers carried. The name of the company is derived from Luft , and Hansa .The airline is the world's fourth-largest airline in terms of overall passengers carried, operating... (Star Alliance Star Alliance Star Alliance is the world's first and largest airline alliance, headquartered in Frankfurt am Main, Germany . The alliance was founded in 1997 by five of the world's leading airlines: Air Canada, Lufthansa, Scandinavian Airlines, Thai Airways International and United Airlines... member) Malaysia Airlines Malaysian Airline System Berhad , DBA Malaysia Airlines , is the government-owned flag carrier of Malaysia. Malaysia Airlines operates flights from its home base, Kuala Lumpur International Airport, and its eastern hub in Kota Kinabalu. It has its headquarters on the grounds of Sultan Abdul Aziz... (future Oneworld member) Nok Air Nok Air , the Thai word for bird) is a low-cost airline headquartered in Sathorn, Bangkok, Thailand, operating domestic and international services out of Bangkok Don Mueang Airport. Nok Air is the budget airline of Thai Airways International... Pakistan International Airlines Pakistan International Airlines Corporation commonly known as PIA, is the flag carrier airline of Pakistan. The airline has its head office on the grounds of Jinnah International Airport in Karachi. and operates scheduled services to 24 domestic destinations and 38 international destinations in 27... Star Alliance Star Alliance is the world's first and largest airline alliance, headquartered in Frankfurt am Main, Germany . The alliance was founded in 1997 by five of the world's leading airlines: Air Canada, Lufthansa, Scandinavian Airlines, Thai Airways International and United Airlines... member) Spanair Spanair is a Spanish airline, with its head office in the Spanair Building in L'Hospitalet de Llobregat, near Barcelona. It was, until 2009, a subsidiary of Scandinavian Airlines, which now holds slightly under 20% of the company. Spanair provides a scheduled passenger network within Spain and... (Star Alliance Star Alliance Star Alliance is the world's first and largest airline alliance, headquartered in Frankfurt am Main, Germany . The alliance was founded in 1997 by five of the world's leading airlines: Air Canada, Lufthansa, Scandinavian Airlines, Thai Airways International and United Airlines... member) Star Alliance Star Alliance is the world's first and largest airline alliance, headquartered in Frankfurt am Main, Germany . The alliance was founded in 1997 by five of the world's leading airlines: Air Canada, Lufthansa, Scandinavian Airlines, Thai Airways International and United Airlines... member) TAP Portugal TAP Portugal, commonly known as TAP, is the national airline of Portugal. It has its head office in Building 25 on the grounds of Portela Airport in Lisbon, and has been a member of the Star Alliance since 14 March 2005, the same day on which the company celebrated its 60th anniversary... (Star Alliance Star Alliance Star Alliance is the world's first and largest airline alliance, headquartered in Frankfurt am Main, Germany . The alliance was founded in 1997 by five of the world's leading airlines: Air Canada, Lufthansa, Scandinavian Airlines, Thai Airways International and United Airlines... member) United Airlines United Air Lines, Inc., is the world's largest airline with 86,852 employees United Air Lines, Inc., is the world's largest airline with 86,852 employees United Air Lines, Inc., is the world's largest airline with 86,852 employees (which includes the entire holding company United Continental... (Star Alliance Star Alliance Star Alliance is the world's first and largest airline alliance, headquartered in Frankfurt am Main, Germany . The alliance was founded in 1997 by five of the world's leading airlines: Air Canada, Lufthansa, Scandinavian Airlines, Thai Airways International and United Airlines... member) [ends 1 March] |
Japan Airlines
is an airline headquartered in Shinagawa, Tokyo, Japan. It is the flag carrier of Japan and its main hubs are Tokyo's Narita International Airport and Tokyo International Airport , as well as Nagoya's Chūbu Centrair International Airport and Osaka's Kansai International Airport...
.
Corporate image
Thai Airways is one of the few airlines with a uniform change policy. International female flight attendants are required to change from their corporate purple suits (for use outside the cabin) into their traditional Thai dress (as seen on the company's marketing campaigns) prior to the general boarding of passengers. They are also required to change back into the former prior to disembarkation. Cabin crew of nationalities other than Thai are not allowed to wear the traditional Thai dress.Fleet
The average age of THAI's fleet was 12.1 years as of 31 May 2010.| Aircraft | In Service | Orders | Passengers | Notes | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| F | C | U | Y | Total | ||||
| Airbus A300-600R | 11 | — | — | 28 46 |
— | 232 201 |
260 247 |
To be phased out |
| Airbus A320-200 Airbus A320 family The Airbus A320 family is a family of short- to medium-range, narrow-body, commercial passenger jet airliners manufactured by Airbus Industrie.Airbus was originally a consortium of European aerospace companies, and is now fully owned by EADS. Airbus's name has been Airbus SAS since 2001... |
0 | 11 | TBD | 5 purchased and 6 leased with deliveries between 2012 and 2015. | ||||
| Airbus A330-300 Airbus A330 The Airbus A330 is a wide-body twin-engine jet airliner made by Airbus, a division of EADS. Versions of the A330 have a range of and can accommodate up to 335 passengers in a two-class layout or carry of cargo.... |
21 | 0 6 |
— | 42 36 |
— | 263 263 |
305 299 |
HS-TEL painted in Star Alliance Star Alliance Star Alliance is the world's first and largest airline alliance, headquartered in Frankfurt am Main, Germany . The alliance was founded in 1997 by five of the world's leading airlines: Air Canada, Lufthansa, Scandinavian Airlines, Thai Airways International and United Airlines... livery. An order of seven aircraft will begin delivery in November 2011. |
| Airbus A340-500 Airbus A340 The Airbus A340 is a long-range four-engine wide-body commercial passenger jet airliner. Developed by Airbus Industrie,A consortium of European aerospace companies, Airbus is now fully owned by EADS and since 2001 has been known as Airbus SAS. a consortium of European aerospace companies, which is... |
4 | — | — | 60 | 42 | 113 | 215 | To be phased out starting 2012-2013 ( 2 Leased to Vietnam Airlines ) |
| Airbus A340-600 Airbus A340 The Airbus A340 is a long-range four-engine wide-body commercial passenger jet airliner. Developed by Airbus Industrie,A consortium of European aerospace companies, Airbus is now fully owned by EADS and since 2001 has been known as Airbus SAS. a consortium of European aerospace companies, which is... |
6 | — | 8 | 60 | — | 199 | 267 | To be phased out starting 2015 |
| Airbus A350-900 Airbus A350 The Airbus A350 is a family of long-range, wide-body jet airliners under development by European aircraft manufacturer Airbus.A consortium originally comprising European aerospace companies from the UK, France, Spain and West Germany, Airbus is now fully owned by EADS and since 2001 has been known... |
0 | 12 | TBD | 4 Purchased and 8 Leased, arriving between 2016 and 2018. | ||||
| Airbus A380-800 Airbus A380 The Airbus A380 is a double-deck, wide-body, four-engine jet airliner manufactured by the European corporation Airbus, a subsidiary of EADS. It is the largest passenger airliner in the world. Due to its size, many airports had to modify and improve facilities to accommodate it... |
— | 6 | 12 | 60 | — | 435 | 507 | 3 to be delivered in 2012 3 in 2013 |
| Boeing 737-400 Boeing 737 Classic The Boeing 737 Classic is the name given to the -300/-400/-500 series of the Boeing 737 following the introduction of the -600/-700/-800/-900 series. They are short- to medium- range, narrow-body jet airliners produced by Boeing Commercial Airplanes. The Classic series was introduced as the 'new... |
5 | — | — | 12 | — | 137 | 149 | To be phased out |
| Boeing 747-400 Boeing 747-400 The Boeing 747-400 is a major development and the best-selling model of the Boeing 747 family of jet airliners. While retaining the four-engine wide-body layout of its predecessors, the 747-400 embodies numerous technological and structural changes to produce a more efficient airframe... |
18 | — | 10 14 |
40 50 |
— | 325 325 |
375 389 |
HS-TGW painted in Star Alliance Star Alliance Star Alliance is the world's first and largest airline alliance, headquartered in Frankfurt am Main, Germany . The alliance was founded in 1997 by five of the world's leading airlines: Air Canada, Lufthansa, Scandinavian Airlines, Thai Airways International and United Airlines... livery. HS-TGP painted in retro livery. Economy class refurbishment on 12 aircraft, business class and first class refurbishment on 6 aircraft, scheduled for 2011–2012. Two will leave the passenger fleet in 2011 and be converted into cargo configuration. |
| Boeing 777-200 Boeing 777 The Boeing 777 is a long-range, wide-body twin-engine jet airliner manufactured by Boeing Commercial Airplanes. It is the world's largest twinjet and is commonly referred to as the "Triple Seven". The aircraft has seating for over 300 passengers and has a range from , depending on model... |
8 | — | — | 30 | — | 279 | 309 | Economy Class refurbishment on all 8 aircraft expected between 2011 and 2012 |
| Boeing 777-200ER Boeing 777 The Boeing 777 is a long-range, wide-body twin-engine jet airliner manufactured by Boeing Commercial Airplanes. It is the world's largest twinjet and is commonly referred to as the "Triple Seven". The aircraft has seating for over 300 passengers and has a range from , depending on model... |
6 | — | — | 30 | — | 262 | 292 | |
| Boeing 777 Boeing 777 The Boeing 777 is a long-range, wide-body twin-engine jet airliner manufactured by Boeing Commercial Airplanes. It is the world's largest twinjet and is commonly referred to as the "Triple Seven". The aircraft has seating for over 300 passengers and has a range from , depending on model... F |
1 | — | Operated by Southern Air Southern Air Southern Air Inc. is a United States airline based in Norwalk, Connecticut, United States.A U.S. FAA part 121 supplemental cargo carrier and portfolio company of Oak Hill Capital Partners, Southern Air, through an all-Boeing fleet of 777Fs, 747-400BCFs and 747-200s, provides a wide range of... being phased out |
|||||
| Boeing 777-300 Boeing 777 The Boeing 777 is a long-range, wide-body twin-engine jet airliner manufactured by Boeing Commercial Airplanes. It is the world's largest twinjet and is commonly referred to as the "Triple Seven". The aircraft has seating for over 300 passengers and has a range from , depending on model... |
6 | — | — | 34 | — | 330 236 |
364 270 |
|
| Boeing 777-300ER Boeing 777 The Boeing 777 is a long-range, wide-body twin-engine jet airliner manufactured by Boeing Commercial Airplanes. It is the world's largest twinjet and is commonly referred to as the "Triple Seven". The aircraft has seating for over 300 passengers and has a range from , depending on model... |
5 | 14 | 8 | 30 | — | 274 | 312 | 3 leased from Jet Airways Jet Airways Jet Airways is a major Indian airline based in Mumbai, Maharashtra. It is India's largest airline and the market leader in the domestic sector. It operates over 400 flights daily to 76 destinations worldwide. Its main hub is Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport, with secondary hubs at Delhi,... Plans to lease three aircraft from Air India have been shelved. However, in 2011 THAI announced that they will lease 2 more 77W from Jet Airways Jet Airways Jet Airways is a major Indian airline based in Mumbai, Maharashtra. It is India's largest airline and the market leader in the domestic sector. It operates over 400 flights daily to 76 destinations worldwide. Its main hub is Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport, with secondary hubs at Delhi,... in order to modify 2 747 into cargo plane and to increase the modification process of new seats on 12 747s. The second of the 2 77W is expected later this year. 6 additional frames have been ordered from Boeing, with deliveries in 2014 and 2015. |
| Boeing 787-8 | 0 | 8 | TBD | All leased, with deliveries between 2014 and 2015 | ||||
| Boeing 787-9 | 0 | 2 | TBD | All leased, with deliveries in 2017 | ||||
| Total | 91 | 59 | ||||||
- Thai Airways’ Boeing 747-400, registration HS-TGP, has been painted with the ‘Thai International’ livery as part of the airlines' 50th anniversary in 2010. The ‘Thai International’ livery was used on Thai's fleet in the 1960s when the airline was founded as a joint venture between Thailand's domestic carrier, Thai Airways Company (TAC) and Scandinavian Airlines System (SAS) with the Scandinavian carrier initially providing a 30% share capital of two million Baht.
- The airline received the 1000th Airbus A330/A340 on 30 July 2009, which is an Airbus A330-343X powered by Rolls-Royce Trent 700Rolls-Royce Trent 700|-See also:-External links:*...
,with the registration HS-TEP. - Thai Cargo leases two Boeing 777Boeing 777The Boeing 777 is a long-range, wide-body twin-engine jet airliner manufactured by Boeing Commercial Airplanes. It is the world's largest twinjet and is commonly referred to as the "Triple Seven". The aircraft has seating for over 300 passengers and has a range from , depending on model...
F N774SA & N775SA to launch heavy cargo service. It offered service between Bangkok-Hong Kong-Amsterdam, Bangkok-Dubai-Frankfurt, Bangkok-Hong Kong-Frankfurt, Frankfurt-Bangkok, Bangkok-Delhi-Amsterdam, Amsterdam-Bangkok. (as at May 2010) - Thai Airways has Boeing Customer Code D7. For example, Boeing 747-400Boeing 747-400The Boeing 747-400 is a major development and the best-selling model of the Boeing 747 family of jet airliners. While retaining the four-engine wide-body layout of its predecessors, the 747-400 embodies numerous technological and structural changes to produce a more efficient airframe...
aircraft that the airline has ordered directly from Boeing Commercial AirplanesBoeing Commercial AirplanesBoeing Commercial Airplanes designs, assembles, markets and sells large commercial jet aircraft and provides product-related maintenance and training to customers worldwide...
are coded Boeing 747-4D7 - Thai plans to use the A380 on flights to Frankfurt and London Heathrow, with Frankfurt being served first
Fleet development plan
THAI’s fleet development plan, as of November 2010, for the period 2010-2022 is in three phases:- 2010-2012: phase out of 15 aging aircraft, delivery of 16 government-approved aircraft (three of which, the leased Boeing 777-300ERs, are already in use and five of which, the Airbus A330-300s, await the delivery of seats), and acquisition of four additional undetermined aircraft.
- 2013-2017: phase out of 32 aging aircraft, delivery of 11 aircraft that have already been approved, and acquisition of 33 new aircraft, including 26 next generation wide-bodied aircraft and 7 narrow-bodied aircraft.
- 2018-2022: phase out of 21 aging aircraft and acquisition of 21 next generation wide-bodied aircraft.
Aircraft acquisition plan for 2010–2014
Information current as of June 2011:The airline will phase-out its 6 oldest Boeing 747-400 aircraft between 2012 and 2013, 10 Airbus A300-600 between 2010 and 2013, 3 Boeing 737-400 between 2010 and 2014, and 2 ATR-72 in 2010. The airline also expects to discontinue its leasing arrangement for Jet Airways' three Boeing 777-300ERs by 2013.
The 9 government-approved aircraft deliveries include 8 Airbus A330-300 aircraft (7 of which have been delivered and 1 of which await seating installation) and 6 Airbus A380-800 aircraft scheduled for delivery between 2012 and 2013.
Thai will acquire an additional 7 Airbus A330s between 2011 and 2013 for regional routes, and 8 Boeing 777-300ERs between 2012 and 2013 for intercontinental routes. Thai has indicated that the intercontinental routes served by these new aircraft would be Copenhagen, Stockholm, Los Angeles and Oslo, and the regional routes to be served by the new A330s include Perth, Dubai, Shanghai, Taipei, Mumbai (Bombay), Kolkata (Calcutta), and Bengaluru (Bangalore).
On 13 June 2011, Thai's Board of Directors announced they would purchase 15 aircraft and acquire the remaining 22 on operating leases. The purchased planes include six Boeing 777-300ERs, to be delivered in 2014 and 2015, four Airbus A350-900s (2016 and 2017) and five Airbus A320-200s (2014 and 2015). The leased planes include six 787-8s and two 787-9s from US lessor International Lease Finance (ILFC). The -8s will be delivered in 2014 and 2015, while the -9s will be delivered in 2017. In addition, Thai will lease six A350-900s from Aviation Lease and Finance, to be delivered in 2017, and two A350-900s from CIT Aerospace International, which will deliver the aircraft in 2016. The airline will also lease six A320-200s from RBS Aerospace International, to be delivered in 2012 and 2013. All the operating leases have terms of 12 years each, said THAI.
Aircraft Maintenance Centers - Thai Technical
Thai airways International maintains three maintenance centers at U-Tapao International AirportU-Tapao International Airport
-Charter services:-Accidents and incidents:On 28 October 1977, a Douglas DC-3 of Air Vietnam was hijacked to U-Tapao International Airport where the four hijackers surrendered. Two people on board the aircraft were killed in the hijacking...
Don Mueang International Airport and Suvarnabhumi Airport
Suvarnabhumi Airport
Suvarnabhumi Airport , also known as Bangkok International Airport, is an international airport serving Bangkok, Thailand. It was officially opened for limited domestic flight service on 15 September 2006, and opened for most domestic and all international commercial flights on 28 September...
for its own aircraft and aircraft belonging to other airlines.
Thai Technical is certified internationally Federal Aviation Administration
Federal Aviation Administration
The Federal Aviation Administration is the national aviation authority of the United States. An agency of the United States Department of Transportation, it has authority to regulate and oversee all aspects of civil aviation in the U.S...
, Joint Aviation Authorities
Joint Aviation Authorities
The Joint Aviation Authorities, or JAA, was an associated body of the ECAC representing the civil aviation regulatory authorities of a number of European States who had agreed to co-operate in developing and implementing common safety regulatory standards and procedures...
, Requalifier Identification Certificate From United States Department of Transportation
United States Department of Transportation
The United States Department of Transportation is a federal Cabinet department of the United States government concerned with transportation. It was established by an act of Congress on October 15, 1966, and began operation on April 1, 1967...
only U-Tapao International Airport
U-Tapao International Airport
-Charter services:-Accidents and incidents:On 28 October 1977, a Douglas DC-3 of Air Vietnam was hijacked to U-Tapao International Airport where the four hijackers surrendered. Two people on board the aircraft were killed in the hijacking...
and Suvarnabhumi Airport
Suvarnabhumi Airport
Suvarnabhumi Airport , also known as Bangkok International Airport, is an international airport serving Bangkok, Thailand. It was officially opened for limited domestic flight service on 15 September 2006, and opened for most domestic and all international commercial flights on 28 September...
and Japan Civil Aviation Bureau for facilities at Don Mueang International Airport and Suvarnabhumi Airport
Suvarnabhumi Airport
Suvarnabhumi Airport , also known as Bangkok International Airport, is an international airport serving Bangkok, Thailand. It was officially opened for limited domestic flight service on 15 September 2006, and opened for most domestic and all international commercial flights on 28 September...
European Aviation Safety Agency
European Aviation Safety Agency
The European Aviation Safety Agency is an agency of the European Union with offices in Cologne, Germany, which has been given regulatory and executive tasks in the field of civilian aviation safety. It was created on 15 July 2002, and it reached full functionality in 2008, taking over functions...
Part-145 Maintenance Organisation Approval
It is certified domestically by Department of Civil Aviation (Thailand)
Department of Civil Aviation (Thailand)
Department of Civil Aviation is the aviation authority of Thailand, headquartered in Sathorn, Bangkok."." Department of Civil Aviation. Retrieved on 4 March 2010.-External links:* *...
for all its facilities located in Thailand: U-Tapao International Airport
U-Tapao International Airport
-Charter services:-Accidents and incidents:On 28 October 1977, a Douglas DC-3 of Air Vietnam was hijacked to U-Tapao International Airport where the four hijackers surrendered. Two people on board the aircraft were killed in the hijacking...
; Don Mueang International Airport; and Suvarnabhumi Airport
Suvarnabhumi Airport
Suvarnabhumi Airport , also known as Bangkok International Airport, is an international airport serving Bangkok, Thailand. It was officially opened for limited domestic flight service on 15 September 2006, and opened for most domestic and all international commercial flights on 28 September...
In February, 27 1998 the Department received its ISO 9002 certification from Bureau Veritas Quality International and ISO 14001 certification in 16 March 2001 for the whole department and for its New Aircraft Maintenance Facility at U-TAPAO Airport have from Bureau Veritas Quality International
Hygiene award
The Most Hygienic In-cabin Environment programme was initiated for the safety and hygiene of Thai Airways International passengers and employees. The programme includes removal of all inflight disposable materials after flight, sterilization and fumigation of all cabin equipment and inspection of the air-circulation system. The programme also includes passenger food safety. The Special Audit Process is also carried out for the cleaning and sanitization of the overall system of its aircraft by specialists. These measures are applied to the entire Thai Airways International fleet.Thai Airways International is the first airline to install hospital grade air-filter True HEPA capable of intercepting up to 99.999% of dust particles and micro organisms on every flight.
The World Health Organization
World Health Organization
The World Health Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations that acts as a coordinating authority on international public health. Established on 7 April 1948, with headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland, the agency inherited the mandate and resources of its predecessor, the Health...
awarded Thai Airways International a plaque for the implementation of the in-cabin management system in 2004. It was the first award of its kind to be presented to private organization.
Ground services
Thai Airways's passengers are provided separate waiting lounges in some domestic and international destinations which were Royal Silk lounges or Royal Orchid lounges.In Suvarnabhumi AirportSuvarnabhumi Airport
Suvarnabhumi Airport , also known as Bangkok International Airport, is an international airport serving Bangkok, Thailand. It was officially opened for limited domestic flight service on 15 September 2006, and opened for most domestic and all international commercial flights on 28 September...
,Thai Airways provides the awarded Royal First lounges.Also,they offers a Royal Orchid Spa which provides massage. This service is available for Royal First and Royal Silk passengers only(visitor are not allowed to use this service).
On 30 September 2008 Thai Airways's Ground services Department received Certificate ISO 14001 from Bureau Veritas Certification
On 4 January 2011 The airline has been providing the service for check-in service at Bangkok City Air Terminal at Makkasan Station Suvarnabhumi Airport Link for passengers and their baggage flying THAI domestic and international flights.
Ground services department thai airways have Best Airport Services and Best Airline Lounge – First Class at the 2010 Skytrax
Skytrax
Skytrax is a United Kingdom-based consultancy, the public face of Inflight Research Services, which has the largest airline and airport review and ranking site. It conducts research for commercial airlines...
World Airline Awards.
Cabin services
Thai offers four cabin classes including Royal First, Royal Silk, Premium Economy and Economy.Royal First Class
Thai's standard Royal First Class seats, manufactured by B/E Aerospace, were introduced with the arrival of the Airbus A340-600Airbus A340
The Airbus A340 is a long-range four-engine wide-body commercial passenger jet airliner. Developed by Airbus Industrie,A consortium of European aerospace companies, Airbus is now fully owned by EADS and since 2001 has been known as Airbus SAS. a consortium of European aerospace companies, which is...
. The aircraft offers eight single flat-bed seats with a separate foot rest. Thai's 12 retrofitted Boeing 747-400s are also equipped with this seat, mostly serving Europe and some intra-Asian flights. The new seats are equipped with lumbar massage and 10.4" touch screens with AVOD and IFE system. Passengers in Royal First class can pick from 22 available meals, which can be pre-ordered before flight. With the introduction of Thai Airways' new B777-300ERs leased from Jet Airways, THAI has introduced fully enclosed first class suites on select flights to Paris and Tokyo (Narita).
On long-haul routes Bangkok – Copenhagen
Copenhagen
Copenhagen is the capital and largest city of Denmark, with an urban population of 1,199,224 and a metropolitan population of 1,930,260 . With the completion of the transnational Øresund Bridge in 2000, Copenhagen has become the centre of the increasingly integrating Øresund Region...
and Bangkok – Stockholm
Stockholm
Stockholm is the capital and the largest city of Sweden and constitutes the most populated urban area in Scandinavia. Stockholm is the most populous city in Sweden, with a population of 851,155 in the municipality , 1.37 million in the urban area , and around 2.1 million in the metropolitan area...
,Bangkok – Hong Kong
Hong Kong
Hong Kong is one of two Special Administrative Regions of the People's Republic of China , the other being Macau. A city-state situated on China's south coast and enclosed by the Pearl River Delta and South China Sea, it is renowned for its expansive skyline and deep natural harbour...
(TG600/601 Monday & Thursday), Thai operates B747-400 aircraft with its oldest first class product. These seats are sold as Business class seats.
On some Medium-haul routes such as Bangkok – Singapore
Singapore
Singapore , officially the Republic of Singapore, is a Southeast Asian city-state off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, north of the equator. An island country made up of 63 islands, it is separated from Malaysia by the Straits of Johor to its north and from Indonesia's Riau Islands by the...
,(TG413/414 Occasionally TG409/410 Often), Bangkok – Beijing
Beijing
Beijing , also known as Peking , is the capital of the People's Republic of China and one of the most populous cities in the world, with a population of 19,612,368 as of 2010. The city is the country's political, cultural, and educational center, and home to the headquarters for most of China's...
, Bangkok – Hong Kong
Hong Kong
Hong Kong is one of two Special Administrative Regions of the People's Republic of China , the other being Macau. A city-state situated on China's south coast and enclosed by the Pearl River Delta and South China Sea, it is renowned for its expansive skyline and deep natural harbour...
(TG606/607), Bangkok –Denpasar
Denpasar
Denpasar is the capital city of the province of Bali, Indonesia. It has a rapidly expanding population of 788,445 in 2010, up from 533,252 in the previous decade. It is located at .-History:...
, the B747-400 Version B747 with the previous generation old First Class seats are used. On select domestic flights operating between Bangkok, Chiang Mai
Chiang Mai
Chiang Mai sometimes written as "Chiengmai" or "Chiangmai", is the largest and most culturally significant city in northern Thailand. It is the capital of Chiang Mai Province , a former capital of the Kingdom of Lanna and was the tributary Kingdom of Chiang Mai from 1774 until 1939. It is...
, and Phuket, Thai uses B747-400 aircraft with either its standard first class product or its older first class product, though these seats are sold as business class seats. At present, standard Royal First Class is offered on flights between Bangkok and Madrid
Madrid
Madrid is the capital and largest city of Spain. The population of the city is roughly 3.3 million and the entire population of the Madrid metropolitan area is calculated to be 6.271 million. It is the third largest city in the European Union, after London and Berlin, and its metropolitan...
, Zurich
Zürich
Zurich is the largest city in Switzerland and the capital of the canton of Zurich. It is located in central Switzerland at the northwestern tip of Lake Zurich...
(Often), Milan
Milan
Milan is the second-largest city in Italy and the capital city of the region of Lombardy and of the province of Milan. The city proper has a population of about 1.3 million, while its urban area, roughly coinciding with its administrative province and the bordering Province of Monza and Brianza ,...
(Rarely), Frankfurt
Frankfurt
Frankfurt am Main , commonly known simply as Frankfurt, is the largest city in the German state of Hesse and the fifth-largest city in Germany, with a 2010 population of 688,249. The urban area had an estimated population of 2,300,000 in 2010...
, Rome
Rome
Rome is the capital of Italy and the country's largest and most populated city and comune, with over 2.7 million residents in . The city is located in the central-western portion of the Italian Peninsula, on the Tiber River within the Lazio region of Italy.Rome's history spans two and a half...
, London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, Tokyo
Tokyo
, ; officially , is one of the 47 prefectures of Japan. Tokyo is the capital of Japan, the center of the Greater Tokyo Area, and the largest metropolitan area of Japan. It is the seat of the Japanese government and the Imperial Palace, and the home of the Japanese Imperial Family...
(TG640/641 only), Hong Kong
Hong Kong
Hong Kong is one of two Special Administrative Regions of the People's Republic of China , the other being Macau. A city-state situated on China's south coast and enclosed by the Pearl River Delta and South China Sea, it is renowned for its expansive skyline and deep natural harbour...
(TG600/601, 606/607 only), Singapore
Singapore
Singapore , officially the Republic of Singapore, is a Southeast Asian city-state off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, north of the equator. An island country made up of 63 islands, it is separated from Malaysia by the Straits of Johor to its north and from Indonesia's Riau Islands by the...
(TG413/414 Occasionally TG409/410 Often). Select Royal First Class is offered on flights with A340-600 between Bangkok and Sydney
Sydney
Sydney is the most populous city in Australia and the state capital of New South Wales. Sydney is located on Australia's south-east coast of the Tasman Sea. As of June 2010, the greater metropolitan area had an approximate population of 4.6 million people...
, Zurich
Zürich
Zurich is the largest city in Switzerland and the capital of the canton of Zurich. It is located in central Switzerland at the northwestern tip of Lake Zurich...
.
Royal Silk Class (Business)
The new Royal Silk Class was introduced with the arrival of Thai's AirbusAirbus
Airbus SAS is an aircraft manufacturing subsidiary of EADS, a European aerospace company. Based in Blagnac, France, surburb of Toulouse, and with significant activity across Europe, the company produces around half of the world's jet airliners....
A340-500
Airbus A340
The Airbus A340 is a long-range four-engine wide-body commercial passenger jet airliner. Developed by Airbus Industrie,A consortium of European aerospace companies, Airbus is now fully owned by EADS and since 2001 has been known as Airbus SAS. a consortium of European aerospace companies, which is...
aircraft. The first series of shell, angled lie-flat business class seats were installed on 12 Boeing 747-400
Boeing 747-400
The Boeing 747-400 is a major development and the best-selling model of the Boeing 747 family of jet airliners. While retaining the four-engine wide-body layout of its predecessors, the 747-400 embodies numerous technological and structural changes to produce a more efficient airframe...
aircraft, all Boeing 777-200
Boeing 777
The Boeing 777 is a long-range, wide-body twin-engine jet airliner manufactured by Boeing Commercial Airplanes. It is the world's largest twinjet and is commonly referred to as the "Triple Seven". The aircraft has seating for over 300 passengers and has a range from , depending on model...
aircraft, and all Airbus A340
Airbus A340
The Airbus A340 is a long-range four-engine wide-body commercial passenger jet airliner. Developed by Airbus Industrie,A consortium of European aerospace companies, Airbus is now fully owned by EADS and since 2001 has been known as Airbus SAS. a consortium of European aerospace companies, which is...
aircraft. A newer set of seats was then installed on all Boeing 777-300
Boeing 777
The Boeing 777 is a long-range, wide-body twin-engine jet airliner manufactured by Boeing Commercial Airplanes. It is the world's largest twinjet and is commonly referred to as the "Triple Seven". The aircraft has seating for over 300 passengers and has a range from , depending on model...
aircraft, all Boeing 777-200ER
Boeing 777
The Boeing 777 is a long-range, wide-body twin-engine jet airliner manufactured by Boeing Commercial Airplanes. It is the world's largest twinjet and is commonly referred to as the "Triple Seven". The aircraft has seating for over 300 passengers and has a range from , depending on model...
aircraft, and select Airbus A330-343X
Airbus A330
The Airbus A330 is a wide-body twin-engine jet airliner made by Airbus, a division of EADS. Versions of the A330 have a range of and can accommodate up to 335 passengers in a two-class layout or carry of cargo....
aircraft (registrations HS-TEN and later). On these aircraft, the pitch is 60"-62" between seats and the width is 20"-21.5". When fully reclined (electrically adjusted) the seat becomes completely flat, but angled. The seat can perform lumbar massage. All seats are equipped with a 10.4" or 15" (newer version) touch screen with AVOD and IFE. On select flights from Bangkok to Paris and Tokyo (Narita), Thai uses Boeing 777-300ER aircraft leased from Jet Airways, which include fully lie-flat seating in a Herringbone layout.
On some long-haul routes such as Bangkok – Copenhagen
Copenhagen
Copenhagen is the capital and largest city of Denmark, with an urban population of 1,199,224 and a metropolitan population of 1,930,260 . With the completion of the transnational Øresund Bridge in 2000, Copenhagen has become the centre of the increasingly integrating Øresund Region...
, Bangkok – Stockholm
Stockholm
Stockholm is the capital and the largest city of Sweden and constitutes the most populated urban area in Scandinavia. Stockholm is the most populous city in Sweden, with a population of 851,155 in the municipality , 1.37 million in the urban area , and around 2.1 million in the metropolitan area...
, the B747-400 Version B747 with the previous generation Old Business Class seats are used; therefore the seats are sold under Premium Economy Class fare. On some Medium-haul routes such as Bangkok – Delhi
Delhi
Delhi , officially National Capital Territory of Delhi , is the largest metropolis by area and the second-largest by population in India, next to Mumbai. It is the eighth largest metropolis in the world by population with 16,753,265 inhabitants in the Territory at the 2011 Census...
(TG315/316 Only), Bangkok – Beijing
Beijing
Beijing , also known as Peking , is the capital of the People's Republic of China and one of the most populous cities in the world, with a population of 19,612,368 as of 2010. The city is the country's political, cultural, and educational center, and home to the headquarters for most of China's...
, Bangkok – Hong Kong
Hong Kong
Hong Kong is one of two Special Administrative Regions of the People's Republic of China , the other being Macau. A city-state situated on China's south coast and enclosed by the Pearl River Delta and South China Sea, it is renowned for its expansive skyline and deep natural harbour...
(TG600/601 Monday & Thursday), Bangkok – Singapore
Singapore
Singapore , officially the Republic of Singapore, is a Southeast Asian city-state off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, north of the equator. An island country made up of 63 islands, it is separated from Malaysia by the Straits of Johor to its north and from Indonesia's Riau Islands by the...
(TG413/414 Occasionally TG409/410 Often), the B747-400 Version B747 with the previous generation old Business Class seats are used. On domestic routes from Bangkok - Chiang Mai
Chiang Mai
Chiang Mai sometimes written as "Chiengmai" or "Chiangmai", is the largest and most culturally significant city in northern Thailand. It is the capital of Chiang Mai Province , a former capital of the Kingdom of Lanna and was the tributary Kingdom of Chiang Mai from 1774 until 1939. It is...
(TG102/3,TG116/7only) and Bangkok - Phuket (TG201/202, 203/204, 217/218, 221/222 only) are used on all version in Boeing 747-400 and Airbus A340-600 with the New Business Class on the Airbus A340-600 and Boeing B747-400 version 744 but also on the 747 Old Business Class seats as well.
Premium Economy Class
Premium Economy seating is configured as 2-3-2, compared to 2-4-2 in Economy. Seats include 135 degrees of recline, leg-rests and 42" in seat pitch. Premium Economy class passengers also have more extensive menu options. Premium Economy class seats are equipped with 9" touchscreen AVOD.Premium Economy Class is currently only available on Airbus A340-500
Airbus A340
The Airbus A340 is a long-range four-engine wide-body commercial passenger jet airliner. Developed by Airbus Industrie,A consortium of European aerospace companies, Airbus is now fully owned by EADS and since 2001 has been known as Airbus SAS. a consortium of European aerospace companies, which is...
aircraft, however business class seats on Thai's Boeing 747s
Boeing 747-400
The Boeing 747-400 is a major development and the best-selling model of the Boeing 747 family of jet airliners. While retaining the four-engine wide-body layout of its predecessors, the 747-400 embodies numerous technological and structural changes to produce a more efficient airframe...
that are yet to be refurbished are sold as Premium Economy.
Economy class
Thai Airways Economy Class offers up to 36" pitch in some aircraft as well as 34" on all other aircraft. Seat rows are configured in a 3-3-3 configuration in Boeing 777-200Boeing 777
The Boeing 777 is a long-range, wide-body twin-engine jet airliner manufactured by Boeing Commercial Airplanes. It is the world's largest twinjet and is commonly referred to as the "Triple Seven". The aircraft has seating for over 300 passengers and has a range from , depending on model...
, 777-300
Boeing 777
The Boeing 777 is a long-range, wide-body twin-engine jet airliner manufactured by Boeing Commercial Airplanes. It is the world's largest twinjet and is commonly referred to as the "Triple Seven". The aircraft has seating for over 300 passengers and has a range from , depending on model...
and 777-200ER
Boeing 777
The Boeing 777 is a long-range, wide-body twin-engine jet airliner manufactured by Boeing Commercial Airplanes. It is the world's largest twinjet and is commonly referred to as the "Triple Seven". The aircraft has seating for over 300 passengers and has a range from , depending on model...
aircraft, 2-4-2 in Airbus A340-500
Airbus A340
The Airbus A340 is a long-range four-engine wide-body commercial passenger jet airliner. Developed by Airbus Industrie,A consortium of European aerospace companies, Airbus is now fully owned by EADS and since 2001 has been known as Airbus SAS. a consortium of European aerospace companies, which is...
, A340-600
Airbus A340
The Airbus A340 is a long-range four-engine wide-body commercial passenger jet airliner. Developed by Airbus Industrie,A consortium of European aerospace companies, Airbus is now fully owned by EADS and since 2001 has been known as Airbus SAS. a consortium of European aerospace companies, which is...
, A330-343X
Airbus A330
The Airbus A330 is a wide-body twin-engine jet airliner made by Airbus, a division of EADS. Versions of the A330 have a range of and can accommodate up to 335 passengers in a two-class layout or carry of cargo....
and Airbus A300-622R aircraft, 3-4-3 in Boeing 747-400
Boeing 747-400
The Boeing 747-400 is a major development and the best-selling model of the Boeing 747 family of jet airliners. While retaining the four-engine wide-body layout of its predecessors, the 747-400 embodies numerous technological and structural changes to produce a more efficient airframe...
aircraft. All Economy seats in Airbus A340-500
Airbus A340
The Airbus A340 is a long-range four-engine wide-body commercial passenger jet airliner. Developed by Airbus Industrie,A consortium of European aerospace companies, Airbus is now fully owned by EADS and since 2001 has been known as Airbus SAS. a consortium of European aerospace companies, which is...
, Airbus A340-600
Airbus A340
The Airbus A340 is a long-range four-engine wide-body commercial passenger jet airliner. Developed by Airbus Industrie,A consortium of European aerospace companies, Airbus is now fully owned by EADS and since 2001 has been known as Airbus SAS. a consortium of European aerospace companies, which is...
, Airbus A330-300
Airbus A330
The Airbus A330 is a wide-body twin-engine jet airliner made by Airbus, a division of EADS. Versions of the A330 have a range of and can accommodate up to 335 passengers in a two-class layout or carry of cargo....
, Boeing 777-200ER
Boeing 777
The Boeing 777 is a long-range, wide-body twin-engine jet airliner manufactured by Boeing Commercial Airplanes. It is the world's largest twinjet and is commonly referred to as the "Triple Seven". The aircraft has seating for over 300 passengers and has a range from , depending on model...
, 777-300
Boeing 777
The Boeing 777 is a long-range, wide-body twin-engine jet airliner manufactured by Boeing Commercial Airplanes. It is the world's largest twinjet and is commonly referred to as the "Triple Seven". The aircraft has seating for over 300 passengers and has a range from , depending on model...
and the leased Boeing 777-300ERs have individual Audio-Video On Demand (AVOD) 9" touch screens. Thai's newer A330-343X
Airbus A330
The Airbus A330 is a wide-body twin-engine jet airliner made by Airbus, a division of EADS. Versions of the A330 have a range of and can accommodate up to 335 passengers in a two-class layout or carry of cargo....
aircraft scheduled for delivery through 2010 and beyond also include AVOD in the Economy cabins. THAI also expects to complete a refurbishment of its existing Boeing 747-400s and Boeing 777-200s to include AVOD in the Economy cabins by the end of 2012.
Royal Orchid Plus
Earning miles
There are two types of mile which can be earned towards a Royal Orchid Plus account.
Firstly, Eligible Qualifying Miles (EQM) this type of mileage is earned on:
- Thai Airways flights
- Flights operated by other carriers that also carry a Thai Airways codeshare (China Airlines, China Eastern Airlines, El Al, Emirates, Malaysia Airlines and Royal Brunei)
- Flights operated by fellow Star Alliance members
Qualifying Miles (Q Miles) are the miles flown and additional class of service miles on Thai and Star Alliance airlines. Royal Orchid Plus miles are earned based on the paid class of travel.
Status Tiers
There are four tiers in the Royal Orchid Plus program
- Member– entry-level status
- Silver– requires 10,000 Q Miles in one calendar year or 15,000 Q Miles from the date of enrollment up to 31 December of the next complete calendar year
- Gold– requires 50,000 Q Miles in one calendar year, 80,000 Q Miles from the date of enrollment up to 31 December of the next complete calendar year, or 40 international flown sectors on Thai within any 1 calendar year.
- Platinum– by invitation only; requires frequent and consistent premium class travel on Thai in addition to longstanding Royal Orchid Plus Gold status
Incidents and accidents
- 30 June 1967 Thai Airways International Flight 601Thai Airways International Flight 601Thai Airways International Flight 601 was a Sud Aviation Caravelle that crashed into the sea on landing at Kai Tak Airport in a typhoon on 30 July 1967.-Accident:...
, a Sud Aviation SE-210 Caravelle III with registration HS-TGI, crashed into the sea when on approach to Kai Tak AirportKai Tak AirportKai Tak Airport was the international airport of Hong Kong from 1925 until 1998. It was officially known as the Hong Kong International Airport from 1954 to 6 July 1998, when it was closed and replaced by the new Hong Kong International Airport at Chek Lap Kok, 30 km to the west...
in a typhoon. 24 out of the 80 passengers and crew on board were killed. - 25 December 1967 A Thai Airways International Flight Douglas DC-3Douglas DC-3The Douglas DC-3 is an American fixed-wing propeller-driven aircraft whose speed and range revolutionized air transport in the 1930s and 1940s. Its lasting impact on the airline industry and World War II makes it one of the most significant transport aircraft ever made...
with registration HS-TDH crashed at Chiang Mai Airport Killing 4 out of 31 passengers and crew on the flight. - 10 May 1973 Thai Airways International Douglas DC-8-33Douglas DC-8The Douglas DC-8 is a four-engined narrow-body passenger commercial jet airliner, manufactured from 1958 to 1972 by the Douglas Aircraft Company...
with registration HS-TGU overran the runway on landing at Tribhuvan International AirportTribhuvan International AirportTribhuvan International Airport is an international airport situated in Kathmandu, Nepal.Tribhuvan is the sole international airport in Nepal. There are two terminals, one domestic and one international...
in Kathmandu. There was 1 fatality out of 100 passengers and 10 crew on board. - 27 April 1980 Thai Airways Flight 231Thai Airways Flight 231Thai Airways Flight 231 crashed on 27 April 1980. The Hawker Siddeley HS 748, registration HS-THB, stalled and crashed after entering a thunderstorm on approach to Bangkok. The accident killed 44 out of 53 passengers and crew on board Flight 231.-Accident:...
, an Hawker Siddeley HS 748 crashed after entering a severe thunderstormThunderstormA thunderstorm, also known as an electrical storm, a lightning storm, thundershower or simply a storm is a form of weather characterized by the presence of lightning and its acoustic effect on the Earth's atmosphere known as thunder. The meteorologically assigned cloud type associated with the...
on approach to Khon Kaen AirportKhon Kaen AirportKhon Kaen Airport is located in Khon Kaen, Thailand.Serving Khon Kaen, a city strategically important for the region's infrastructure both geographically and economically, the airport was upgraded to international standards in 2005 with the opening of a new terminal. It is located a few kilometers...
. Forty four of the fifty three people on board were killed. - 10 November 1990 – Flight 306,an Airbus A300-600Airbus A300The Airbus A300 is a short- to medium-range widebody jet airliner. Launched in 1972 as the world's first twin-engined widebody, it was the first product of Airbus Industrie, a consortium of European aerospace companies, wholly owned today by EADS...
Yangon to Don Muang International Airport Hijackers demanded to be taken to Kolkata - 31 July 1992 – Flight 311Thai Airways International Flight 311Thai Airways International Flight 311 was a flight from Bangkok, Thailand's Don Mueang International Airport to Kathmandu, Nepal's Tribhuvan International Airport. On 31 July 1992, an A310-304 on the route, registration HS-TID, crashed on approach to Tribhuvan. All 113 on board were killed.Flight...
, an Airbus A310-300Airbus A310The Airbus A310 is a medium- to long-range twin-engine widebody jet airliner. Launched in July 1978, it was the second aircraft created by Airbus Industrie,a consortium of European aerospace companies, Airbus is now fully owned by EADS and since 2001 has been known as Airbus SAS. the consortium of...
hit the side of a hill 23 miles north of Kathmandu while descending towards Tribhuvan International AirportTribhuvan International AirportTribhuvan International Airport is an international airport situated in Kathmandu, Nepal.Tribhuvan is the sole international airport in Nepal. There are two terminals, one domestic and one international...
from Bangkok. All 113 on board (99 passengers and 14 crew) died. The accident was caused by technical faults (with flaps and a possible second unknown fault), pilot error and lack of equipment at TIA at the time (no radar). - 11 December 1998 – Flight 261Thai Airways Flight 261Thai Airways International Flight 261 was scheduled passenger flight from Bangkok, Thailand to Surat Thani, Thailand. On 11 December 1998, the ill-fated flight was being operated with an Airbus A310-300, registration HS-TIA....
, an A310-200Airbus A310The Airbus A310 is a medium- to long-range twin-engine widebody jet airliner. Launched in July 1978, it was the second aircraft created by Airbus Industrie,a consortium of European aerospace companies, Airbus is now fully owned by EADS and since 2001 has been known as Airbus SAS. the consortium of...
, bound for Surat ThaniSurat ThaniSurat Thani is a city in Amphoe Mueang Surat Thani, Surat Thani Province, southern Thailand. It is the capital of the province Surat Thani. The city has a population of 128,179 , and an area of 68.97 square kilometers. The city's population density is 1,858.47 inhabitants per km².Suran Thani is...
from Bangkok, during its third landing attempt in heavy rain, crashed into a rice paddy about two miles from Surat Thani airport; 102 of 143 on board were killed. - 3 March 2001 – Thai Airways International Flight 114, a Boeing 737-400Boeing 737 ClassicThe Boeing 737 Classic is the name given to the -300/-400/-500 series of the Boeing 737 following the introduction of the -600/-700/-800/-900 series. They are short- to medium- range, narrow-body jet airliners produced by Boeing Commercial Airplanes. The Classic series was introduced as the 'new...
HS-TDC, bound for Chiang MaiChiang MaiChiang Mai sometimes written as "Chiengmai" or "Chiangmai", is the largest and most culturally significant city in northern Thailand. It is the capital of Chiang Mai Province , a former capital of the Kingdom of Lanna and was the tributary Kingdom of Chiang Mai from 1774 until 1939. It is...
from Bangkok, was destroyed by explosion of the center wing tank resulting from ignition of the flammable fuel/air mixture in the tank while the aircraft was parked, pre-boarding, on the ground. The source of the ignition energy for the explosion could not be determined with certainty, but the most likely source was an explosion originating at the center wing tank pump as a result of running the pump in the presence of metal shavings and a fuel/air mixture. One death was reported.
See also
- Nok AirNok AirNok Air , the Thai word for bird) is a low-cost airline headquartered in Sathorn, Bangkok, Thailand, operating domestic and international services out of Bangkok Don Mueang Airport. Nok Air is the budget airline of Thai Airways International...
- Thai Tiger AirwaysThai Tiger AirwaysThai Tiger Airways was a planned a joint venture of Singaporean low-fare airline Tiger Airways and Thailand's Thai Airways International. On September 19, 2011 Thai Airways International scrapped the joint-venture plan with Tiger Airways to set up a Thai offshoot of the Singapore-based low-cost...
- Transport in ThailandTransport in ThailandTransport in Thailand is varied and chaotic, with no one dominant means of transport. Bus transport dominates in long distances and Bangkok, with motorbikes dominating in rural areas for short trips, supplanting bicycles. Road transportation is the primary form of freight transport across the...
External links
- Official website
- Ministry of Transport of Thailand official website
- http://www.thailandandbeyond.com/