Thai Airways has delayed the debut of its Airbus A350-900 aircraft on its long-haul route to Melbourne, due to “additional inspections and requirements from Australian authorities on Thai’s newest aircraft type”.

The carrier took delivery of its first A350 at the end of August, and had been due to roster the aircraft onto the Bangkok-Melbourne route in mid-September.

But in a statement Thai Airways said that the additional checks meant that “the approval process is not able to be completed in time for Thai to operate the maiden flight by September 16, 2016”.

The carrier said that it now hoped to get approval in time for the start of the winter schedules at the end of October, and said that “In the meantime, Thai will operate the A350 between Bangkok-Chiang Mai and Bangkok-Phuket, which will give passengers in Thailand more opportunities to experience the elegance of the Thai A350”.

The airline said it would continue to operate a normal schedule to Melbourne, with two daily flights.

thaiairways.com