Summary
- Thai Airways has reportedly ordered 45 Boeing 787 aircraft as a part of its fleet enhancement program.
- The carrier can be said to have chosen the General Electric GEnx engine option for the Dreamliners.
- This deal aligns with previous reports of Thai Airways planning a big widebody order.
In what looks like a giant win for Boeing and a big fleet enhancement program for Thai Airways, the carrier has reportedly ordered greater than 40 Boeing 787 aircraft. The airline has undergone fleet optimization in the previous few years, but as passenger traffic recovers, it seems able to buy latest airplanes.
45 Boeing 787s ordered
Thai Airways is moving ahead with a big aircraft deal as a part of its fleet enhancement program. While there was no official announcement regarding a deal, Reuters reports that the carrier has placed a firm order for 45 Boeing 787 aircraft.
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Rumors of Thai on the point of announce a significant cope with Boeing have been circulating for a lot of days now. Nevertheless it’s being said that the carrier could officially disclose the agreement at the top of this month. Sources have also revealed that the deal includes options that would take its overall size to 80 aircraft.
GE wins over Rolls-Royce
The Boeing 787 comes with two engine options – the Rolls-Royce Trent 1000 and the General Electric GEnx. Nonetheless, Rolls-Royce has had some difficulties in gaining the market share for the 787. The General Electric option is by far the industry leader relating to powering the Dreamliners worldwide.
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![Boeing 787](https://static1.simpleflyingimages.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/K65674.jpg)
Rolls Royce Vs General Electric – Boeing 787 Engine Options Explained
And Reuters suggests that Thai Airways has also gone with the GE option together with the order. While that is yet one more GE win over Rolls-Royce for the 787, it is usually significant because Thai has been a long-standing customer of Rolls-Royce, and to decide on GE for such a big deal signals a departure from its traditional approach.
Major fleet plans
The most recent development is just not all that surprising, considering there have been reports floating around within the last several months of Thai Airways eyeing a big widebody order. Easy Flying analyzed the airline’s potential plans in November 2023 and suggested that it could order as many as 100 planes, comprising as much as 80 widebodies.
Photo: KITTIKUN YOKSAP | Shutterstock
In fact, all the foremost suspects were in contention, akin to the present popular dual-engined twin-aisle planes just like the A330s, A350s, Boeing 777s, and, in fact, the 787. In June 2023, Thai Airways CEO Chai Eamsiri said that the airline expects latest Airbus and Boeing aircraft to be delivered in the following three years, and a few sources suggested that the carrier may stand up to 40 Boeing 787s. The most recent Reuters reports further consolidate that belief.
Current fleet
Per ch-aviation, Thai Airways has a complete of 70 aircraft, of which 65 are in energetic service. Like all major carriers, it operates a mixed fleet of narrowbody and widebody planes and from each the foremost aircraft manufacturers – Airbus and Boeing.
The carrier currently has 20 Airbus A320s, three A330s, 17 A350s, five Boeing 777-200ERs, 17 Boeing 777-300ERs, six Boeing 787-8s, and two 787-9 variants.
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