Airbus has pulled out of on an 11 billion baht MRO joint venture with Thai Airways, according to local media.
The project was to develop a maintenance, MRO facility at the U-Tapao Airport in Rayong province. The airport also serves the seaside resort of
According to Thai media reports. Airbus missed a deadline this week to submit their full proposal. Cherdphan Chotikhun, the executive vice president of Thai Airways’ Technical Department said the failure to go ahead with the project left the national carrier seeking a new partner of solution for the maintenance facility.
Airbus was only private corporation which passed the legacy airlines’ special bidding process for the project.
Thai Airways conceded that Airbus was not in a position to join the venture after the international aviation industry had been devastated by the Covid-19 pandemic.
The government’s target completion date for the U-Tapao aircraft maintenance facility was 2022-2023.
About 45% of the current Thai Airways fleet is from Airbus, including six A380s.
