Story ID: 467
Boeing Secures ‘Landmark’ Thai Airways 787 Deal
By: David Donald
Caption: Royal Brunei Airlines has ordered four of the widebody Dreamliners
Word Count: 378
Boeing on Tuesday revealed a pair of orders from Asian carriers for 49 of its 787 Dreamliner widebodies in the biggest deal of the Singapore Airshow's first day. Thai Airways will take up to 45 aircraft, while Royal Brunei Airlines has committed to adding four of the intercontinental model to its fleet.
The Thai Airways contract calls for the first 10 Dreamliners to be the 787-9 version powered by GE Aerospace's GEnx engines. The contract includes options for 35 more aircraft and allows the flexibility to switch to the larger 787-10 model or even the 777X. The companies finalized the order in December but didn't formally reveal its existence until the first day of this week's Singapore Airshow.
For Thai Airways, the influx of 787s will fuel a major increase in capacity to meet the growing demand for air travel in Southeast Asia. The carrier reached a type/engine selection decision in just 10 months, accelerating an evaluation process that had hitherto taken three to four years. The airline adopted a total cost of ownership method to reach its decision. Plans call for delivery of the initial 45 aircraft between 2027 and 2033.
The carrier is no stranger to the Boeing 787, with six 787-8s and a pair of Dash 9s in its fleet, and one more of the latter on order. The average fleet age is just over nine years for the 787-8s. Rolls-Royce Trent 1000s power the current aircraft but the airline’s president and CEO, Chai Eamsiri, said that the airline harbored no plans to drop the Rolls-engined aircraft from the fleet any time soon.
Eamsiri noted that the GEnx engines would help the airline—and nation—meet its carbon-neutral goals by 2050. The 787 will reduce fuel use and emissions by 25 percent compared with the aircraft it is to replace.
On the same day as the Thai announcement, Boeing revealed an order for four 787-9s from Royal Brunei Airlines—the first Dreamliner operator in Southeast Asia. The airline celebrated 10 years of operations with the 787 last year. The fleet currently consists of five 787-8s that operate on routes to Asia, Australia, the Middle East, and London. The 787-9 offers a growth in passenger capacity of nearly 20 percent compared with the 787-8.