Thai Airways has spent a lot of time in bankruptcy protection. The airline has retired a lot of planes, including many Boeings. The airline wasn't in a good spot before the epidemic.

Thai Airways is in the process of acquiring three new Boeing 777s, which will feature first class. Why? If reports are to be believed, it is to ensure that the king can continue to fly first class when using the carrier's fleet for private travels.

Thai Airways taking delivery of three new 777s

Thai Airways is getting ready to take delivery of three new airplanes. Two of the planes with registration codes are currently en route from PAE to BKK. The third jet with the registration code is still performing test flights with Boeing.

Thai Airways new 777-300(ER) HS-TTA taxi test and first flight at KPAE today.

This aircraft is named “Alongkorn”. pic.twitter.com/QOXozIxDCy

— Jennifer Schuld (@JenSchuld) January 26, 2021

The planes were leased by Thai Airways back in the year. I wonder why Thai Airways decided to lease three more 777s.

  • The airline was already a financial mess
  • The airline already had a ridiculously varied long haul fleet; Thai Airways’ approach to fleet planning is kind of like someone trying to design a free dinner from Costco samples (except I doubt Thai Airways was getting as good of a deal)

The logic for this order was that Thai King Maha Vajiralongkorn flies Thai Airways when he wants to go to Europe, but they don't have first class. This order was put in order to make it easier for the king to fly on first class.

For the past few years, Vajiralongkorn has always demanded that he and his vast entourage fly on HS-TKY, a six-year-old Boeing 777-3D7ER, but it doesn't have a first class cabin. The new planes arriving today are much more luxurious and have first class facilities. 4/6

— Andrew MacGregor Marshall (@zenjournalist) April 6, 2022

What will the interiors of Thai Airways’ new 777s be like?

There is a big question about how Thai Airways will setup these new airplanes.

  • The airline last took delivery of a 777-300ER in 2015, and a lot has advanced with premium cabin airline seats in seven years
  • With Thai Airways retiring all of its 747s and A380s, the airline no longer offers a first class product, at least as of now; I can’t help but wonder if the airline will even keep selling a first class product (given the tiny footprint), or if it will just be sold as some sort of a “business plus” when not being used by the king
  • This can’t help but make me think back fondly to Thai Airways’ old 777-300ER first class, back when the airline leased these planes from Jet Airways (RIP to everything about this)
First class on Thai Airways’ former leased Jet Airways 777s

Thai Airways might be the first class airline for the Boeing 777s.

Could this be Thai Airways’ 777 first class?

I say that.

  • This looks a whole lot like British Airways’ 787 first class, just with different finishes
  • On the one hand, this does have Thai Airways’ cabin finishes
  • On the other hand, this picture has been floating around for years, even before Thai Airways announced intentions to lease these three 777s, and has also been used generically by Boeing

With Thai Airways now taking delivery of these planes, I hope we will find out the details of the cabins soon. It's possible that these planes don't have interiors yet. Hopefully we will find out soon.

Thai Airways’ beautiful former 747 first class

Thai Airways is in the process of taking delivery of two of its three newly leased Boeing 777s, which are flying to Bangkok at the moment. The order of these planes was odd, given the overall fleet plans of Thai Airways.

It will be interesting to see what Thai Airways does with these planes. The king has a way to fly to Europe in comfort if they have first class. Please report back if anyone can figure out more about the interiors.

What do you think about Thai Airways?

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