United Airlines is close to reaching a deal with Boeing for a major 787 Dreamliner order, two sources briefed on the matter told Reuters. The precise size of the order could not immediately be determined but is expected to be significant and announced as soon as this month, the sources said. The Wall Street Journal said United was close to ordering dozens of 787 Dreamliners. In October, Bloomberg News said United was nearing an order for more than 100 widebody jets and was evaluating offers from Boeing and for Airbus's A350. In October, Boeing said it was continuing to produce 787s at a low rate, and "will gradually return to five airplanes per month over time." Boeing said with strong demand and more than 400 widebody airplanes in backlog "we anticipate higher production rates." United and Boeing both declined to comment. United had 64 787 Dreamliners at the end of September and will have 68 by the end of 2022.<br/>
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For the first time in 10 years, there's now a nonstop flight between North America and the capital of one of the world's most popular tourist destinations, Thailand. On December 1 at 11 p.m. local time, Air Canada flight AC65 took off from Vancouver International Airport to begin the 15-hour and 55-minute journey to Bangkok. The inaugural flight arrived in the Thai capital on Saturday morning at 6:33 a.m. local time. The seasonal Air Canada service will operate four times a week between now and March 26, 2023 with Boeing 787 Dreamliner aircraft. Travelers can choose from three cabins -- lie-flat seats in Signature Class as well as Premium Economy and Economy Class. Flight AC65, from Vancouver to Bangkok, will operate on Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Sunday. Flight AC66 will depart the Thai capital at 8:30 a.m. on Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday and Sunday, arriving in Vancouver at 6:35 a.m. local time. "We are thrilled to launch Air Canada's first non-stop service to Southeast Asia and the only non-stop flights between North America and Thailand," said Mark Galardo, Air Canada's senior vice president of network planning and revenue management. "Bangkok is also one of the most visited destinations globally, and we have optimized connections to and from our trans-pacific hub at YVR to give customers convenient travel options to explore this exciting city renowned for its history, cuisine and culture, or to conduct international business trade." Thai Airways previously offered regularly scheduled nonstop flights from Bangkok to Los Angeles, but these were halted in 2012.<br/>
Lufthansa today took an Airbus A380 out storage for the first time since the Covid-19 pandemic decimated air travel demand. The A380 has been reactivated by storage and MRO specialist Tarmac Aerosave, and will be flown from its Teruel facility in Spain to Lufthansa in Frankfurt today. Lufthansa placed its 14 A380s into storage early during the pandemic, with the carrier suggesting they would not return to service unless the post-Covid demand recovery was stronger than expected. However, in June, Lufthansa said it would re-introduce some A380s next year to counter aircraft delivery delays and address a sharp rise in passenger demand. Last month, CE Carsten Sphor said Lufthansa planned to bring back more A380s than three it already earmarked for operation from its Munich base from June 2023. “We’ll need to bring that number up [based on] the demand [trend] and for operational reasons… Three is not enough,” he said. Cirium fleets data shows the reactivated aircraft, registration D-AIMK, entered service with the carrier in March 2014.<br/>
Singapore Airlines and Thai Airways International have entered an MOU that will see more extensive codesharing between the two carriers. The MOU will also see the two Star Alliance carriers explore “wide-ranging commercial collaboration” aimed at providing “more options and value” to passengers, say the pair in a joint statement. Initially, the two airlines will place their code on each other’s services between Singapore and Bangkok. Thai will also place its code on SIA services to South Africa and North America in the first quarter of 2023, subject to regulatory approval. Additional codeshare opportunities will also be considered, including for destinations in Europe, India, and the southwest Pacific. “SIA and Thai have had a close relationship for many years, which we aim to strengthen through this comprehensive agreement,” says SIA CE Goh Choon Phong. “Both airlines have a loyal customer base, as well as extensive operations within Southeast Asia and around the world. This is a win-win opportunity to support the growth of our respective hubs and enhance the options and service offerings for our customers.” Suvadhana Sibunruang, Thai’s acting CE, also stressed the long-term ties between the two carriers, and said the new MOU will help to broaden Thai’s network.<br/>