2000s: Airline brand renewal and financial difficulties Using Airbus A340-500s it acquired in 2005, THAI commenced nonstop flights from Bangkok to New York, its first nonstop services to North America. The airline later converted existing one-stop services to Los Angeles into nonstop services using the same aircraft type. The service to Los Angeles was again reverted to one-stop service at Seoul on 1 May 2012 leaving the airline with no nonstop service between Thailand and North America. Citing very high fuel costs, THAI discontinued the New York service in July 2008, even though the airline had been able to fill 80% of the seats. The Airbus A340s used have been phased out using the Boeing 777-300ER for the Bangkok-Seoul-Los Angeles route. Although the previous A340 used for nonstop services was not subject to ETOPS, the phasing in of the 777 with one-stop service (with the 330 minute rule) will be indefinite for years to come; the airline has no plans to purchase the Boeing 747-8 for trans-Pacific routes since Thai Airways is operating the Airbus A380