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THAI's Q2 loss more than doubled as the global economic slowdown, fierce competition and a strengthened baht took their toll on revenue. The company reported a 6.88b baht ($223.7m) loss in Q2, compared with a 3.1 billion baht deficit a year earlier, according to a filing to Thai exchange late Friday. Revenue fell 10% to 42.5b baht. The national carrier has faced mounting pressure on its revenue as it struggles to operate with aging aircraft, declining tourist arrivals and a stronger currency. The baht’s 8% appreciation against the dollar in the past year is the strongest in a basket of emerging-market currencies tracked by Bloomberg. “The baht appreciation greatly affected the Thai tourism situation,” the company said. Newly appointed Transport Minister Saksiam Chidchob said last week he supported Thai Airways’ plan to buy new aircraft to improve its services. I Thai Airways’s total expenses dropped 0.8% to 49.6b baht on lower fuel prices.<br/>

Turkish Airlines has indicated a shift of Airbus A321neo deliveries into 2020 in the company's half-year financial briefing. The carrier had been expecting a year-end fleet of 17 A321neos when it revealed its Q1 performance. But an update covering the six months to 30 June shows that this has been trimmed to 15. Turkish Airlines, which has seven A321neos in its fleet, was intending to take 15 A321neos during 2019 but the revision shows it will receive 13 this year, while the planned 2020 intake has risen from 22 to 24. The carrier has not specifically indicated the reason for the shift, although Airbus has been trying to cope with delays to A321neo deliveries owing to industrial challenges. Turkish Airlines is forecasting a year-end fleet of 239 single-aisle aircraft – it has retained in this forecast an expectation of having 24 737 Max jets by the end of 2019, despite a grounding of the type which has halted deliveries. <br/>