THAI AIRWAYS PRE-LAUNCHES ITS AIRBUS A380

KEE@FSWMAG.COM

THAI PRE-LAUNCHES ITS AIRBUS A380 AND ANNOUNCES NEW PRODUCTS AND SERVICES.

One of the world's most acclaimed and successful airlines, Thai Airways and its fabled Orchid Service is going to greater heights with its first Airbus A380 aircraft and with it, a slew of new products and services that are elevating the industry standards.

27 September will be a red letter day as Thai Airways will take delivery of its first A380, touted as the best ever plane ever built. 

Mr Ampon Kittiampon, THAI Chairman of the Board of Directors, said THAI
chose the Airbus A380-800 aircraft because it is preferred by passengers for its spacious
cabin offering. To maximize passenger comfort, THAI is installing only 507 seats in three
classes: 12 in Royal First Class, 60 in Royal Silk Class, and 435 in economy for all six
A380s scheduled to join its fleet between this year and next. The delivery of the A380 will
also compliment THAI’s strategy in offering more modern and higher state of the art
products and services at every customer touch point while maintaining the airline’s
competitive advantage as one of the world’s premier carriers.

Mr. Chokchai Panyayong, THAI Executive Vice President of Strategy & Business
Development and Acting President, said THAI is pleased to showcase its new onboard
products and services including new seats, onboard equipment and entertainment system,
giving customers consistent and high-quality product offerings across THAI’s fleet. THAI
expects that the new aircraft and new products and services will make the passenger travel
experience with even more comfortable, more convenient, and with the ease of the latest in
modern technology.

THAI will receive six Airbus A380-800 aircraft, with the first to be accepted on 27
September 2012, three aircraft will be accepted during this Winter Program, and two
aircraft to be accepted in 2013. THAI’s first Airbus A380-800 will operate flights to and
from Bangkok-Hong Kong and Bangkok-Singapore beginning 6 October 2012. Upon
acceptance of the second aircraft approximately in mid-December 2012, THAI will operate
to and from Bangkok-Frankfurt as well as to and from Bangkok-Hong Kong. In January
2013, THAI will begin operating the Airbus A380-800 to and from Bangkok-Narita and to
and from Bangkok-Paris in February 2013.

THAI’s Airbus A380-800 can accommodate 507 passengers in a three-class configuration:

- ROYAL FIRST CLASS is fitted with 12 seats that recline 180 degrees, have 83 inch pitch,
26.5 inch seat width, with semi-privacy conventional configuration, have the latest
Audio Video On Demand (AVOD) ex2 system with a 23 inch personal
entertainment screen that offers 100 movies, 150 television programs, 500 CD
albums, and 60 games. Passengers have more personal storage area in Royal First
Class, with individual coat storage, in addition to internet connection, Wi-Fi,
enables mobile phone use on board, and electronic plug-in. It also features a Royal
First Class Bar, spacious lavatory/dressing room, and Royal First Lounge onboard
that serves as a multipurpose area.

- ROYAL SILK CLASS is equipped with 60 seats that recline 180 degrees, have 74 inch
pitch, 20 inch seat width, with staggered seat configuration for easy access, have 15
inch personal entertainment screen with the AVOD ex2 system that offers the same
number of audio and video selection as Royal First Class, complete with a Royal
Silk Bar. More personal storage area is provided, along with internet connection,
Wi-Fi, enables mobile phone use on board, and electronic plug-in.

- ECONOMY CLASS is configures with 435 seats, with 58 seats in the upper deck area
and 377 seats in the lower deck or main passenger cabin area, have 32 inch pitch,
18 inch seat width, have 10.6 inch personal entertainment screen with the AVOD
ex2 system that offers the same number of audio and video selection as Royal First
Class and Royal Silk Class. There is internet connection, Wi-Fi, mobile phone use
on board, and electronic plug-in.

The Airbus A380-800 is designed to facilitate noise-control and be environmentally
friendly in accordance with international airport regulations, equipped to transport 40
percent more passengers than other large wide body aircraft, and releases less carbon
dioxide and noise. Inflight connectivity enables passengers to use mobile phones on board
for a fee charged by the mobile service provider. SMS and MMS messages may be sent
and received through GPRS or Wi-Fi connection, while passengers with Wi-Fi enabled
electronic equipment may access the internet using Wi-Fi, so that passengers may remain
connected when traveling on board flights.

On THAI’s other new aircraft acceptances, THAI will receive seven new Airbus A330-300
aircraft, whereby three aircraft were accepted during the beginning of 2012 and operate on
regional flights in Asia, such as Narita, Nagoya, and Hong Kong. The fourth and fifth
aircraft will be accepted approximately near the end of 2012, while the sixth and seventh
aircraft will be accepted in early 2013. This aircraft type will be used to operate flights on
Australian and Asian routes, such as Perth, Osaka, Fukuoka, Shanghai, and Colombo. The
color scheme for the interior décor of the fourth to seventh Airbus A330-300 will be similar
to the Airbus A380-800.

THAI’s Airbus A330-300 can accommodate 299 passengers in a two-class configuration:

- ROYAL SILK CLASSis equipped with 36 seats that recline 170 degrees, have 58 inch
pitch, 20 inch seat width, have 15 inch personal entertainment screen with the
AVOD ex2 system that offers all the same number of audio and video selection as
offered on THAI’s Airbus A380-800 aircraft. Inflight connectivity enables
passengers to use mobile phones on board for a fee charged by the mobile service
provider. Passengers can send and receive SMS messages, have internet connection
through GPRS or Wi-Fi, while those with Wi-Fi enabled electronic equipment may
access the internet using Wi-Fi

- ECONOMY CLASS is configured with 263 seats, have 32 inch pitch, 18 inch seat width,
have 10.6 personal entertainment screen with the AVOD ex2 system as offered in
Royal Silk Class. Inflight connectivity enables passengers to use mobile phones on
board for a fee charged by the mobile service provider, which is the same as that
offered in Royal Silk Class.

THAI will receive a total 20 Airbus A320-200 aircraft that will be used on THAI Smile
flights, whereby three aircraft have already entered the fleet and five aircraft will join the
fleet by the end of the Winter Program 2012/2013 (28 October 2012 – 30 March 2013).
THAI will accept the fourth aircraft in September 2012, the fifth to tenth aircraft will be
accepted in 2013, the eleventh to seventeenth aircraft will be delivered in 2014, and the
eighteenth to twentieth aircraft will be delivered in 2015.

THAI’s Airbus A320-200 is a short to medium range aircraft that can accommodate 174
passengers, with a 28-32 inch pitch, and 18 inch seat width. The Airbus A320-200 is a
technologically modern aircraft with designed for quality fuel management, with a superior
flight control system, and is environmentally friendly, with Wing Fences installed for
improved flight quality. The first five rows are designated for ‘Smile Plus’ short-haul
business class service, providing extra pitch and enhanced service elements designed to
appeal to a higher market segment. The aircraft type is ideally cost-effective for short to
medium-haul routes. THAI Smile operates the Airbus A320-200 on roundtrip flights to
Macau, Surat Thani, and Krabi.

From now to 2015, THAI will have a total of 33 new Airbus aircraft with new products in
its fleet, with products of comparable quality across its fleet.
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