Thai Airways to lease 20 aircraft from AerCap

Thai Airways has entered into three lease agreements with AerCap as part of the national carrier’s short-term fleet development strategy. Seven widebody aircraft included in the deal comprise four A350-900s and three 787-9s. Two of the A350s have already been delivered with the remaining two units scheduled for delivery in the first and second quarter of 2024, respectively. Dreamliner deliveries will commence in the second quarter of 2024 through to the fourth quarter of 2025. Another lease agreement has also been reached for ten A321neo aircraft, expected to arrive from the third quarter of 2025 through to the second quarter of 2026. “AerCap’s business relationship with Thai Airways began in the mid-1990s with the lease of Boeing 737-400s and Airbus A330-300s, and we have worked closely together during both the upcycles and downcycles to maintain and strengthen the partnership between our two companies,” commented Peter Anderson, chief commercial officer of AerCap. Citing the “recent challenging period,” Chai Eamsiri, chief executive officer of Thai Airways, added: “The addition of these new generation aircraft enhances our ability to swiftly adapt to the evolving market demands, and not only enhances our operational capacity but also offers exceptional levels of comfort for our passengers”.