Thai Airways is selling all of its Boeing 747s
All ten of the Thai carrier's jumbo jets have hit the second-hand market.
By David Flynn, November 5 2020
Pssst: wanna buy a Boeing 747 jumbo jet? Then you're in luck, because Thai Airways has ten of them up for sale.
The Thai flag-carrier has listed its entire Boeing 747 fleet on its Thai Aircraft Trading website, which offloads decommissioned aircraft "for outright sale" on an as-is, where-is basis – which we're petty sure also means no returns and no refunds.
"We do not set any asking nor starting price for each aircraft," the groups notes.
Available for delivery from early 2021, these Boeing 747s were manufactured between 1993 and 2003, so they'll have some miles on them: but they'll also have Thai's cosy first class suites in at the pointy end, with business class seats both behind that and upstairs.
Thai Airways' Boeing 747 first class suites.
If a jumbo jet is just a bit too big for your needs, Thai is also disposing of all twelve of its Boeing 777-200ER and 777-300 jets, nine of the fuel-thirsty four-engine Airbus A340s and even a pair of nimble Boeing 737-400s.
There's no sign of Thai's six flagship Airbus A380s, but with the airline continuing to face financial struggles even before Covid-19 took hold, those superjumbos could also soon be headed for the second-hand lot.
David Flynn is the Editor-in-Chief of Executive Traveller and a bit of a travel tragic with a weakness for good coffee, shopping and lychee martinis.
Etihad - Etihad Guest
06 Apr 2012
Total posts 125
Might be time for John Travolta to add to his Boeing collection ...
09 May 2020
Total posts 573
Thought he had to let go his 707 partly because it was getting too expensive to maintain?
04 Nov 2020
Total posts 21
He has donated his 707 to the HARS aviation museum in Australia, but there has been delays in getting it there, and the current situation hasn’t helped. So yes, he is letting it go.
Delta Air Lines - SkyMiles
16 Oct 2017
Total posts 157
Big opportunity here for SAA, if they had any money...
24 Aug 2011
Total posts 1207
Believing they can find a buyer for 20 year old 744s is highly optimistic to say the least. Nearly every airline has retired their 744 fleets and most have been scrapped. 747-400s are not particularly efficient by modern standards so it is hard to see any airline building their long-haul fleet in a post-Covid world around them.
For example, there are many 777-300ERs available from all sorts of airlines including VA and these are more flexible and efficient than ageing 747s.
03 May 2013
Total posts 680
Surely if any ex 744 operator is going to be able to sell its fleet it would be QF and their 744 ER's?
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
27 Nov 2017
Total posts 17
Maybe they'll be bought as freighters...nice big belly on them albeit 4 engines aren't that efficient.
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
26 Feb 2020
Total posts 28
Sad to see yet more 747’s go.. having said that, not sure what J class is like on the TG A380 but it has to be better than the outdated product on the 747. I wonder if we’ll see SYD - BKK with an A380 sometime next year?
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
16 Jan 2018
Total posts 128
TG went from double daily 747 to single daily 747. They could send the A380 to SYD if they had a later departure to connect better with Europe flights but their target market is domestic Thailand and shorthaul BKK-Asia. That needs a morning departure from SYD. The J on the A380 is more on par with the rest of the world. Their F is already good on all aircraft that they have it on.
Singapore Airlines - KrisFlyer
14 Jan 2014
Total posts 340
COVID bites again!! Such a shame he says while looking under the sofa for any loose change LOL
05 Jan 2018
Total posts 56
its the A380s I'll miss the most when they're gone. THAT was flying...
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