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THAI to Fly New Airbus A350 XWB Jets to Italy
2nd Nov 2016
Thai Airways couldn’t wait any longer for an approval from Australian civil aviation authorities, so it will fly its latest Airbus A350 XWB jets to Italy instead. The Thai national carrier has opted to utilize A350 XWBs on its Bangkok-Rome and Bangkok-Milan routes, where the A350 XWB will replace the old Boeing 777-200ERs.
THAI currently operates four flights per week on both Italian routes.
Why Did THAI Change its Mind About A350 XWB Flying to Australia?
Earlier, THAI planned to start regular flights from Bangkok to Melbourne, using A350 XWB planes. This route was to commence on 16th September, but the Australian civil aviation authorities kept delaying the decision to approve the A350 XWBs on this route.
Industry analysts provided a possible reason as to why Australian authorities are delaying the decision and not granting Thai Airways the approval to fly Airbus A350 XWB aircraft to Melbourne. Namely, according to analysts, the delay likely has to do with the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) putting a red-flag on Thailand for certain civil aviation safety deficiencies and is unkeen to provide approval for a Thai-based airline.
Officially, Aussie civil aviation authorities said they are “unfamiliar” with this type of aircraft and asked for more time to consider Thai Airways’ application. This explanation barely holds water, however, as they already allowed several international airlines to fly A350 XWBs to some Australian destinations.
Due to all of this, THAI will continue to use Boeing 777-200ERs on Bangkok-Melbourne. THAI flies twice-daily to Melbourne from Bangkok.
Europeans Don’t Have a Problem with THAI Switching Planes
Thai-registered airlines are not allowed to switch aircraft types on their current international routes, but European civil aviation authorities don’t seem to have a problem with THAI doing exactly that. Of course, that probably has to do with the fact Airbus is a European manufacturer.
The carrier plans to officially start deploying A350 XWBs on the two Italian routes on 16th November.
Right now, THAI has two A350 XWBs it continues to use on “run-in” flights from Bangkok to Singapore and Dubai and chosen domestic routes like Bangkok to Phuket or Chiang Mai. The airline is also awaiting delivery of five A350 XWBs in 2017, between March and September. These will be used on the airline’s European routes.
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