Thai Airways confirmed it is ordering 45 new Boeing 787 Dreamliner aircraft, with options for up to 35 more. Boeing has not confirmed the agreement. However, the orders are included in Boeing’s published order list, credited to an unnamed carrier.
Large-volume orders for new aircraft have become customary for airlines with global aspirations, to replace aging jets and to compete for an expanding volume of travelers. There also is pressure to place orders with the major aircraft builders before their delivery schedules become overly extended.
While the value of the order has not been announced, based on list values for the 787 it likely exceeds $6 billion. That estimate would not include the cost of the turbofan engines, for which Thai Airways has selected GE Aerospace to supply its GEnx engine.
Thai Airways fleet currently includes six 787-8s and two 787-9s, which are powered by Rolls-Royce Trent 1000 engines.
The 787 Dreamliner is a twin-engine, wide-body aircraft developed by Boeing to achieve greater fuel-efficiency for long-range service. Since the 787’s introduction in 2011, Boeing has logged 1,908 orders for the 787, and as of December 2023 it had an order backlog of 797 aircraft.
