Thai Airways International is planning to acquire up to 30 new aircraft, Bloomberg reports. The airline will soon send its requests to Boeing and Airbus with expected aircraft deliveries by 2026.
The airline is also looking to add several more A321neos for its regional Thai Smile unit, Chief Executive Officer Chai Eamsiri revealed during the IATA summit in Istanbul.
“We want the earliest deliveries, but as you know, Boeing and Airbus are filling their production slots,” said Eamsiri.
Thai Airways, which is still going through a court-monitored debt restructuring, is rebuilding its operations. The airline passenger capacity is currently between 65-70% with the airline focussing on quality over quantity.
The airline currently has 11 A350s on order, which are expected to be delivered starting in 2024. Prior to pandemic, the airline has over 100 aircraft in its fleet, this has been cut down to 55. However, with expected deliveries, leases and orders the airline aims to boost its fleet size to 114 by 2027.