Thai Airways has confirmed plans to return to Amsterdam for the first time in nearly three decades, expanding its European network to 12 destinations.
The Star Alliance member intends to launch daily nonstop service between Bangkok Suvarnabhumi International Airport and Amsterdam Schiphol Airport (AMS) from July 1. The carrier will deploy Airbus A350-900 aircraft on the route, marking its first Amsterdam service since late 1998, when it operated Bangkok–Zurich–Amsterdam flights.
CAPA Fleet Database shows Thai operates 23 321-seat A350-900s, alongside six A330-300s, four Boeing 787-8s and four 787-9s, with 42 additional 787-9s and six 787-10s on order.
According to OAG Schedules Analyser data, the airline currently serves 11 European points, including double-daily service to Frankfurt and London Heathrow and daily flights to Brussels, Copenhagen, Istanbul, Milan Malpensa, Munich, Oslo, Paris Charles de Gaulle, Stockholm Arlanda and Zurich.
Thai offers about 59,600 two-way weekly seats between Thailand and Europe, accounting for 24.9% of total capacity—the largest share among carriers in the market. Including Russia, Aeroflot ranks second with 12.4%, while Turkish Airlines holds 8.6%.
On the Bangkok-Amsterdam sector, Thai will become the third nonstop operator alongside KLM and EVA Airways. KLM currently offers 11X-weekly frequencies using 777-300ER and 777-200ER aircraft, while EVA operates 3X-weekly flights on a Taipei–Bangkok–Amsterdam routing with 777-300ERs. The market totals about 9,500 two-way weekly seats, with KLM commanding a 78% capacity share.
Thai’s entry will therefore add approximately 4,500 two-way weekly seats, lifting total capacity to around 14,000 seats and giving the Thai flag carrier an estimated 32% share of the expanded market.
Sabre Market Intelligence data for the 12 months to June 2025 shows that on the Amsterdam to Bangkok leg, 41% of traffic was local, while 39.3% originated behind Amsterdam, reflecting AMS’s function as a European hub. About 12.5% of passengers connected beyond Bangkok, with Taipei the largest onward market, while the remainder represented bridge traffic flowing from behind Amsterdam to points beyond Bangkok.
The planned Amsterdam launch also follows Vietnam Airlines’ decision to inaugurate Hanoi–Amsterdam service in June. Flights will be offered three times per week on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays using A350 aircraft.
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