Thai Airways To Delay Aircraft Deliveries

Thai Airways plans to postpone taking delivery of 14 planes for three years to reduce operating costs as the national airline restructures.

The 14 aircraft include 12 Airbus A350s, of which two were due to be delivered this year, and two Boeing 787s, President Charumporn Jotikasthira told a news conference.

"We will negotiate with aircraft makers to postpone the delivery due from 2016 to 2018," he said.

Thai Airways is one of several money-losing state-controlled firms ordered to improve efficiency and transparency by the military government which took power in a May 2014 coup, ending months of turmoil and anti-government protests which had sent tourism numbers plummeting.

Charumporn said the airline planned to sell unused properties, including 19 offices in Thailand and overseas, and expected to receive more than THB1 billion baht (USD$27.6 million) from the sales.

Thai Airways also aimed to sell 14 planes in 2016 as part of its plan to reduce its fleet to 95 aircraft, he said.

In 2015, the airline's cabin factor was 73.3 percent, up from 68.9 percent in 2014, Charumporn said.