Thai Airways sells five A340s

Thai Airways International filed for bankruptcy protection in May 2020, but it was another thirteen months before Bangkok's Central Bankruptcy Court approved Thai's business reorganisation plan.

The airline's Chief Technical Officer said Thai has sold one A340-500 and four A340-600s to a buyer for THB 350 million, or close to USD 9,6 million. The buyer has already signed a contract to acquire the planes.

The fleet of three A340-500s (one was already sold to the Air Force, making it a total of four) and six -600s have been stored for seven to ten years already, having been acquired by the airline in 2003.

The A340s were used for direct flights from Bangkok to New York and Los Angeles, but the two routes generated accumulated losses of THB 7 billion in three years of operations, so the routes were cancelled in 2008. The A340s have been parked unused at U-Tapao Airport since then.

Details about which aircraft were sold was not disclosed. They have the following three A340-500s in storage: HS-TLA (624), HS-TLB (628) and HS-TLD (775). The six -600s are HS-TNA (677), HS-TNB (681), HS-TNC (689), HS-TND (710), HS-TNE (719) and HS-TNF (953).

As of 21 June, Thai has a fleet of 61 aircraft but twenty Airbus A320s are being used by Thai Smile, leaving the national flag carrier with 41 aircraft for service. They consist of twelve Airbus A350-900s, four Boeing 777-200ERs (up for sale), seventeen Boeing 777-300ERs (up for sale) and eight Boeing 787s.

However, the CTO reported that Thai has a plan to sell fourteen more aircraft; six Boeing 777-300s (HS-TKA/F) planes, six Boeing 777-200s (HS-TJA/B/C/D/G/H) and two Airbus A380s (HS-TUE/F).

They plan to rent two Airbus A350-900s to expand flights during the first quarter of next year, and also plan to reuse five decommissioned planes being two Boeing 777-200ERs and three Airbus A330-300s, in the fourth quarter of this year.

Source: Nation Thailand and Thai Aircraft Trading
Picture: Forbes