Thai Airways Joins The Global Shift In Aviation, Phasing Out First-class Cabins In Thailand And Redesigning Its Fleet With A Focus On Business And Premium Economy

Published on September 21, 2025

Thai Airways is making a important move successful consequence to evolving world aviation trends by phasing retired its first-class cabins successful Thailand. This determination is portion of a broad fleet redesign aimed astatine streamlining nan airline’s offerings to amended meet existent rider demands. The displacement reflects a broader industry-wide inclination wherever first-class cabins are being replaced pinch much cost-effective and in-demand work tiers for illustration business and premium economy. As rider preferences proceed to germinate toward enhanced comfortableness and luxury wrong business class, Thai Airways is aligning itself pinch this translator to supply a much accordant and businesslike flying experience. This alteration will not only thief nan hose trim operational costs but besides let it to connection a merchandise that amended caters to nan needs of modern travelers.

Thai Airways International (THAI) has revealed plans to shape retired its first-class cabins crossed each routes, marking a awesome displacement successful nan airline’s strategy to align pinch world aviation trends. As portion of its extended restructuring plan, nan hose will streamline its compartment offerings into 3 superior classes: business, premium economy, and economy.

The hose is besides exploring nan anticipation of introducing a caller “premium business” section, located successful nan beforehand rows of prime aircraft, to accommodate passengers who still activity a much luxurious recreation experience.

A Global Trend: The Decline of First-Class Cabins

THAI’s move to destruct first-class seating is portion of a broader inclination seen crossed nan hose manufacture worldwide. Several starring carriers, including American Airlines, Turkish Airlines, Oman Air, and Air New Zealand, person already phased retired their first-class cabins, opting alternatively to make business people nan highest tier of work connected their fleets. Even awesome Middle Eastern airlines, specified arsenic Emirates and Qatar Airways, are now designing caller craft without first-class seating, reflecting an industry-wide displacement towards much cost-effective and passenger-friendly offerings.

This modulation is not solely motivated by financial considerations. The increasing request for business-class cabins, which connection luxurious amenities specified arsenic lie-flat beds, premium dining, and greater privacy, has made it harder for airlines to warrant nan precocious operational costs associated pinch maintaining first-class cabins. In fact, today’s business-class seats supply an acquisition that is often comparable, if not superior, to accepted first-class offerings, which has contributed to nan diminishing entreaty of first-class seats among galore travelers.

THAI’s Restructuring Plan

Over nan adjacent 2 to 3 years, THAI will complete its restructuring plan, phasing retired first-class cabins and standardizing its fleet into 3 superior classes: business, premium economy, and economy. This restructuring reflects not only nan airline’s desire to align pinch world trends but besides a consequence to shifting rider preferences. First-class cabins, erstwhile synonymous pinch nan pinnacle of luxury aerial travel, will beryllium wholly removed from THAI’s aircraft. The determination comes arsenic nan hose has already begun to trim its first-class availability, pinch nan compartment only operating connected prime routes, specified arsenic Bangkok–London and Bangkok–Narita. These routes will besides modulation to nan caller compartment configurations successful nan adjacent future.

THAI’s early fleet description includes a important bid of caller craft that will not characteristic first-class seating. Specifically, nan hose has placed an bid for respective Boeing 787 Dreamliners, pinch nan first 9 deliveries scheduled for 2028. These craft will see nan streamlined three-class configuration, pinch nary proviso for first-class cabins. This move ensures that THAI maintains a accordant and unified merchandise crossed its full fleet, providing a standardized acquisition for passengers.

Fleet Modernization and Expansion

In summation to restructuring its compartment classes, THAI is besides investing successful upgrading its existing fleet. Over nan adjacent 2 years, nan hose will retrofit 14 Boeing 777-300ER aircraft, introducing caller business-class suites pinch backstage doors and enhancing premium system and system seating. This will guarantee that each passengers, sloppy of their people of service, bask a modern and comfortable recreation experience.

THAI will besides update its fleet of Airbus A350 aircraft, pinch a broad upgrade programme scheduled to statesman successful 2028. The improvements will incorporated nan latest compartment innovations, offering long-haul passengers enhanced comfortableness and convenience.

Looking ahead, THAI plans to grow its fleet to 150 craft by 2033. This description will see a operation of wide-body and narrow-body jets, specified arsenic Boeing 777-300ERs, Airbus A350s, and Boeing 787 Dreamliners, each equipped pinch nan aforesaid three-class configuration. The hose presently operates 78 craft crossed various types, and while it waits for caller deliveries, THAI plans to lease 8–10 wide-body craft to support its long-haul operations betwixt 2027 and 2028.

This description strategy aligns pinch nan airline’s broader extremity of expanding its marketplace stock astatine Bangkok’s Suvarnabhumi Airport, aiming to boost its stock from 35% successful 2029 to 42%, a level adjacent to its highest marketplace stock successful 2013.

The Reasons Behind nan Move

Several cardinal factors lend to THAI’s determination to destruct its first-class cabins:

1. Business Class arsenic nan New Luxury
   Modern business-class cabins person been upgraded to connection a level of comfortableness and luxury that was erstwhile exclusive to first class. With lie-flat beds, high-end dining, and accrued privacy, business people has go nan preferred prime for galore passengers seeking a premium recreation experience. These improvements person made nan favoritism betwixt first and business people little noticeable, reducing request for nan latter.
2. Passenger Value Preferences
   In today’s competitory recreation market, passengers are progressively focused connected worth for money. Many travelers are unwilling to salary astir double nan fare for a marginally superior experience. As a result, request for first people has steadily decreased, starring airlines to attraction connected much celebrated and cost-effective products for illustration business and premium economy.
3. Cost Efficiency and Strategic Alignment
   Maintaining first-class cabins involves higher operational costs, including larger spaces, much staff, and higher work levels. By eliminating first-class seating, THAI tin reconfigure its craft to adhd much business aliases premium system seats, which amended lucifer marketplace request and connection stronger returns. This strategical determination will alteration THAI to stay competitory and financially sustainable successful nan agelong term.

Thai Airways is phasing retired its first-class cabins successful Thailand arsenic portion of a fleet redesign, aligning pinch world aviation trends. This move intends to attraction connected much in-demand business and premium system services, catering to evolving rider preferences for enhanced comfortableness and cost-effective options.

The determination to shape retired first-class cabins reflects THAI’s committedness to gathering nan evolving preferences of modern travelers. By focusing connected business and premium economy, nan hose intends to heighten its fleet’s wide ratio while offering a high-quality acquisition that aligns pinch rider expectations. As nan hose continues to evolve, its attraction connected costs ratio and consistency crossed its fleet will position THAI to thrive successful an progressively competitory world aviation market.