Thai Airways is set to a unveil a new business class, as it recovers from bankruptcy and prepares to return to Thailand’s stock exchange.
Its business class will incorporate privacy doors around its seats and a 24 inch in-flight entertainment screen. The airline filed for bankruptcy in 2020, and aims to complete its debt restructuring this year.
“The new fleet will include business class, premium economy, and economy class. Additionally, we have 17 existing 777s and decided to retrofit 14 of them with updated interiors,” said Thai Airways CEO Chai Eamsiri.
“The new business-class seats will feature privacy doors and a higher level of comfort. The exact seat design has already been chosen, and we will unveil it soon.”
The airline’s upgraded business class will be added to 44 of its Boeing aircraft. These jets will no longer include a first class cabin; only three Thai Airlines Boeing 777s are expected to host a first class section.
Business class seats aboard Thai Airways’ new Airbus A321neo planes, which will begin delivery in November, will also convert to fully flat beds.
Designs for the airline’s new business class cabins will be revealed as part of Thai Airways’ 65th anniversary celebration in May, Eamsiri said.
Thai Airways ordered 45 new planes from Boeing last year. It projects that its fleet will nearly double to 143 aircraft in 2029, compared with 77 in 2024.
The company expects to conclude its bankruptcy rehabilitation process by the end of May, and resume trading on the Stock Exchange of Thailand in June.
Thai Airways saw revenue fall by TH฿137 billion to reach just ฿47 billion (A$2.2 billion) in 2020, as flights were grounded during the covid-19 pandemic. Its revenue recovered to ฿188 billion (A$8.7 billion) in 2024, exceeding 2019’s levels.
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