Paul Lewis/BANGKOK
THAI AIRWAYS International is negotiating to purchase five additional Airbus Industrie A300-600Rs and two Boeing 747-400s as part of a long-term plan to rationalise and modernise its fleet.
The A300-600Rs are needed as replacements for Thai's elderly A300B4s, now used on domestic and regional routes. The carrier is keen to phase out its analogue-equipped aircraft and standardise its medium-range fleet around the Airbus A330 and A300-600.
Thai operates 11 A300B4s and wants Airbus to trade in seven of the aircraft as part of a new A300-600R purchase. A further four leased A300B4s are being returned as the carrier introduces the new A330 into service. Six have already been delivered and the final two are scheduled to arrive before the end of the year.
An additional two Boeing 747-400s are also required, to increase the airline's planned fleet to 14 aircraft. The carrier now has eight 747-400s in service and four on order for delivery by 1998.
In the meantime, Thai is looking to dispose of its six older Boeing 747-200s and, in the longer term, two-300s. Japan Fleet Service is understood to have offered the six General Electric CF6-50-powered 747-200s to Philippine Airlines, although it seems likely that the aircraft will be converted to freighter configuration for lease by Arkia Israeli Airlines.
To improve operating efficiency on routes to Europe, the airline is looking for a smaller-capacity longer-range aircraft. Options under evaluation include purchasing more McDonnell Douglas MD-11s, or selling its four existing tri-jets and standardising on the Airbus A340s.
Whichever manufacturer wins the contract, there is also the requirement to help Thai dispose of its three McDonnell Douglas DC-10-30ERs (Flight International, 16-22 August).
Other major aircraft already on order for Thai, include eight Boeing 777-200As and six -300s. The airline's recent 777-300 announcement is conditional on some significant factors, not least of which are approvals for the deal from the airline's board and from Thailand's recently elected Government.
The planned new-aircraft purchases form part of Thai's wider attempt to rationalise its fleet of different airframe and engine types now in service. Earlier this year, former Thai chairman Amaret Sila-On instructed the carrier to reduce its fleet to five airframe and engine types.
According to a senior airline source, this is likely to consist of GE CF6-80-powered Boeing 747-400s, or MD-11s, or CFM56-powered A340s, Rolls-Royce Trent 800-powered 777-200/300s, Pratt & Whitney PW4164-powered A330s and a combination of PW4158 and CF6-80-powered A300-600/600Rs.
Smaller types, such as the Boeing 737-400 and ATR 42/72, will still need to be retained for domestic routes.
Source: Flight International
