Thai Airways took delivery of its first Airbus A340 in April 2005 - an A340-500 registered as HS-TLA. In total, the airline operated ten A340s (four -500s and six -600s), putting them to use on its long-haul route network, which at the time included London Heathrow (LHR), Los Angeles (LAX), and Zurich (ZRH).

However, flying the four-engined aircraft proved to be a financial challenge, with high fuel costs hitting profitability, and after just ten years, Thai Airways withdrew the type from service. The carrier's final A340 flight touched down at Bangkok Suvarnabhumi International Airport (BKK) from Frankfurt (FRA) on March 28th, 2015. What has happened to the carrier's A340s since then?

Have the aircraft been sold?

Over the years, there have been numerous reports of Thai Airways selling its A340s. The Royal Thai Air Force acquired one of the airline's A340-500s, registered as HS-TLC, back in May 2016.

Despite the costs involved in operating a four-engined aircraft, Thai newspaper The Nation reported in 2019 that a US logistics firm was on the cusp of purchasing eight of Thai Airways' A340s in a deal worth over 4 billion baht ($115 million). The airline's President at the time, Sumeth Damrongchaitham, explained that the proposal had been submitted to Thailand's Transport Ministry for approval, saying,

"I would affirm that the purchase of new aircraft is quite necessary as it will raise our competitiveness. I believe the new administration will approve the plan."

Last year, the airline sold five of its A340s for a total of 350 million baht ($10.1 million), as outlined in this video from the Simple Flying team:

However, according to the latest data from ch-aviation.com, nine of the airline's ten A340s (with the exception of HS-TLC, which was sold to the Royal Thai Air Force) remain in storage, leaving the outcome of the sales unclear.

The three remaining A340-500s are currently stored at Bangkok Don Mueang International Airport (DMK), while all six A340-600s are being kept at U-Tapao International Airport (UTP), close to the city of Pattaya.

Thai Airways' turnaround

Thai Airways experienced serious financial difficulties in the late 2010s, and in a bid to turn its fortunes around, the airline explored several ideas, including bringing back its A340s in 2019, but later decided against it.

With its financial challenges exacerbated by the pandemic, Thai Airways underwent a dramatic restructuring, culling many of its long-haul routes. To raise much-needed capital, the airline also took to auctioning off seats from one of its Boeing 747s and recently sold a number of its older Boeing 777s.

Although the carrier has since returned to profit, it is unlikely that we will see the Airbus A340 take to the skies again in Thai Airways' majestic purple and gold livery. Today, the airline's long-haul network is operated by fuel-efficient twinjet aircraft, including the Airbus A350-900, Boeing 777-300ER, and the Dreamliner (both the 787-8 and 787-9 variants). Last month, the carrier also announced plans to order up to 30 more widebody aircraft as its rebound from the pandemic continues.

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Did you fly on one of Thai Airways' Airbus A340s? What memories do you have of the aircraft? Let us know by commenting below.

Sources: FlightGlobal, The Nation, ch-aviation.com

• 

  Thai Airways

  IATA/ICAO Code:

  TG/THA

  Airline Type:

  Full Service Carrier

  Hub(s):

  Bangkok Suvarnabhumi Airport

  Year Founded:

  1960

  Alliance:

  Star Alliance

  CEO:

  Suvadhana Sibunruang

  Country:

  Thailand