DALLAS — Thai Airways International (TG) has announced plans to retrofit its 20 Airbus A320s, acquired from the merger with its former low-cost subsidiary Thai Smile Airways (WE).

The retrofit includes converting the current "Euro-style" premium economy with economy seats but a blocked middle seat to a proposed two-by-two layout with wider, purple, reclining seats. The airline also plans to enhance its service offering with new business class seats and has installed WiFi onboard.

Currently, TG's A320s are fitted with 168-174 economy/premium economy seats; by late 2024, Thai will reconfigure the cabin with 12 Royal Silk (business) class seats and 144 economy class seats. Thai also said passengers could look forward to a "wireless inflight entertainment system" where passengers can connect personal devices for an "enhanced onboard experience."

Thai's female Cabin Crew also wear a different uniform for the Airbus A320, consisting of a pink shirt and purple trousers, in contrast to their full uniform (pink shirt, scarf, purple blazer, and a purple skirt or trousers), purple dress with scarf, and traditional Thai uniform. All are worn on international flights, not operated on the A320.

Why a Retrofit?

The retrofit plan was announced on February 1 at Thai's "ONE THAI > ONE FLY" event, where plans were announced to use the A320 to serve both domestic and international routes to Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, Vietnam, Singapore, Malaysia, Taiwan, India, Nepal, and more.

From an operational perspective, a balanced product that aligns with the rest of TG's fleet allows simpler flexibility during aircraft swaps and allows Thai to fly their A320 on high-value regional routes. These premium interiors will allow better fleet optimization but also increase passenger satisfaction.

Featured image: Thai Airways A320 HS-TXB. Photo: Thai Airways

https://airwaysmag.com/the-end-of-thai-smile-airways/