Airbus Updates No.4688

 

US-Bangla Airlines wet leases an A320-200

US-Bangla Airlines (BS, Dhaka) has begun wet leasing an A320-200 from BBN Airlines Thailand (TZ, Bangkok Don Mueang), the start-up ACMI specialist announced in a social media post. According to ADS-B data, HS-SXA (msn 5089) began operating under the "UBG" callsign on June 24, 2026.

The aircraft was repositioned from Bangkok Suvarnabhumi to Dhaka on June 23. Since entering service with US-Bangla Airlines, HS-SXA has operated flights from Dhaka to Bangkok Suvarnabhumi, Malé, Singapore Changi, and Sharjah.

Before its current engagement, the 14.3-year-old Airbus narrowbody operated for Thai VietJetAir from December 2025, when BBN Airlines Thailand launched commercial operations, until April 2026.

US-Bangla Airlines also continues to wet lease a B737-800 from BBN Airlines Indonesia (0B, Jakarta Soekarno-Hatta), a sister company of BBN Airlines Thailand under Avia Solutions Group. In addition, the carrier wet leases an ATR72-500 from NovoAir and a B737-200(F) from SkyAir, while wet leasing out one of its ATR72-600s to Air Astra, according to ch-aviation data.

The airline's in-house fleet comprises 17 aircraft: three A330-300s, ten ATR72-600s, and four B737-800s.

Airbus Updates No.4584

 

South African Airways' added leases delayed to 2026

South African Airways' network rebuilding strategy has been set back, as an A320-200 and two A330-200s originally scheduled for delivery in 2025 from various lessors are now expected only in 2026, after their current operators chose to retain the aircraft longer, according to CCO Tebogo Tsimane.

He told Aviation Week at the recent 57th annual general assembly of the African Airlines Association (AFRAA) in Luanda, Angola, that the setback has "put our plan behind. This capacity is important to improve our codeshares and our connectivity because we are a network carrier and we are building a connecting schedule around Johannesburg O.R. Tambo, and then secondarily around Cape Town International."

SAA is looking for additional leased A330s to enter service in the second half of 2026, Tsimane said.

Group CEO John Lamola recently told ch-aviation that two A330-300s from flynas (XY, Riyadh), which were awaiting cabin modifications at Istanbul Airport, are no longer being taken due to high modification costs. He said replacements had been identified but declined to elaborate.

Lamola confirmed to ch-aviation at the AFRAA event that SAA is poised to issue a request for proposals (RFP) for its long-term fleet requirements before the end of 2025. The news was broken by ch-aviation in an earlier interview with Lamola, where he disclosed that SAA plans to purchase 28 new-generation airframes plus accompanying engines to be delivered from 2032 as part of its long-term fleet plan.

The airline is looking to acquire up to 16 widebodies for long-haul routes to be delivered in tranches of five from 2032, plus 12 new-generation narrowbodies, also to be delivered from 2032, to replace the airline’s A320-200s, whose leases are expiring.

Codeshare partnerships

In the meantime, SAA is accelerating its partnership growth, having signed new codeshare agreements with TAAG Angola Airlines in Luanda on December 1. SAA will add its flight code to TAAG-operated flights from Johannesburg and Cape Town to Luanda Dr António Agostinho Neto and onward connections to Lisbon and São Paulo Guarulhos.

This was followed by a codeshare agreement between SAA and Turkish Airlines on December 4, signed alongside a Star Alliance Chief Executive Board meeting in Geneva. SAA will codeshare on Turkish-operated flights from Istanbul to Johannesburg, Cape Town, Durban King Shaka, Frankfurt International, Paris CDG, and London Heathrow.

This follows similar commercial partnerships in 2025 with Lufthansa, Emirates, and CemAir.

SAA currently operates an in-house fleet of 18 aircraft, including fourteen leased A320-200s, two leased A330-300s, and two company-owned A340-300s. In addition, it wet-leases one A330-300 from Hi Fly Malta for added capacity regionally to Accra and Abidjan and intercontinentally to Brazil; and two B737-800s from SunExpress to boost domestic capacity over the December peak summer holiday season in South Africa.

Airbus Updates No.4575

 

Airbus recalls around 6,000 A320s

Airbus (AIB, Toulouse Blagnac) has requested immediate software and/or hardware updates on around 6,000 A320 and A320neo family aircraft after an analysis of a recent JetBlue Airways incident revealed that intense solar radiation may corrupt data critical to the functioning of flight controls. The European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) subsequently issued an emergency airworthiness directive ordering the airlines to install a serviceable elevator aileron computer (ELAC B L104) before the first flight on November 30, 2025. Aircraft which do not undergo the necessary modification before this deadline will be grounded.

Airlines scramble to fix A320 flight controls issue

The emergency airworthiness directive mandating immediate changes to the elevator aileron computer (ELAC) on around 6,000 A320 and A320neo family aircraft has caused disruptions as airlines scramble to fix the issue by the November 30, 2025, deadline.

The aircraft types have not been grounded. A320 operations continue on aircraft that either have had a serviceable ELAC (re)installed, or did not have the potentially malfunctioning system in the first place. ch-aviation understands that the issue requires a hardware fix on older A320ceo family aircraft, and a software update on newer units.

The software fix - essentially a reverse of a recent update - can take a maximum of few hours and be administered between flights. Tyrone Simes, the chief pilot at Jetstar Airways, told Radio New Zealand that the changes were similar to routine maintenance checks, just on a larger scale and with unplanned urgency.

The urgent EAD issued by the European Union Aviation Safety Administration (EASA) on November 28, 2025, nonetheless forced airlines to take immediate corrective action, causing disruption varying in intensity.

One of the most significant reaction came from avianca airlines, which operates 136 A320ceo and A320neo family aircraft across its AOCs. The airline closed ticket sales until December 8 to account for the "significant operational disruptions [that] will inevitably occur over the next 10 days".

American Airlines, the world's largest operator of Airbus narrowbodies, initially said the issue affected around 340 of its aircraft. However, after further clarifications from the manufacturer, the number was revised down to 209. The airline expects to complete nearly all upgrades on November 29, with some due on November 30. ch-aviation data shows it operates 485 Airbus narrowbodies.

IndiGo Airlines, which has 364 A320ceo and A320neo family aircraft, said around 200 of these were affected, but nearly all upgrades were done by the morning on November 29. "No flights have been cancelled as a result of these checks," the Indian LCC said in a statement.

Wizz Air, which operates 246 potentially affected aircraft across its three AOCs, said that all necessary fixes were made by the morning of November 29.

Turkish Airlines, which operates 177 Airbus narrowbodies, told ch-aviation that only eight of its aircraft were affected and checked on November 29.

Multiple other operators of the A320 and A320neo aircraft reported limited flight cancellations, with most ELAC fixes done overnight on November 28-29, 2025.

Airbus Updates No.4526

GlobalX adds more Airbus A320ceo aircraft

Global Crossing Airlines Group, better known as GlobalX Airlines, is America's fastest-growing charter airline, recently announced the completion of its first aircraft acquisition, along with the signing of lease agreements for four additional Airbus aircraft.

GlobalX acquired Airbus A320-214 N630VA (3101), currently operating in its fleet as N630VA. The aircraft was purchased from the leasing company and will soon receive a registration in the N...GX-range.

At the same time, GlobalX signed definitive lease agreements for four Airbus A319s to meet increasing demand across its expanding charter and passenger service business. They are MSN 2477 (currently flying for Allegiant as N317NV), 2481 (also Allegiant as N316NV, arrived at Phoenix Goodyear Airport (AZ) on 16 July), 2492 (Allegiant as N318NV) and 2503 (Allegiant, N319NV).

The first A319 is expected to be delivered on 31 August, with entry into service approximately thirty days later. The remaining aircraft will be delivered sequentially, with planned arrivals on 30 September, 31 October and 30 November.

Photo Scramble Archive: Airbus A320 N628VA is seen here at Paramaribo Zanderij International Airport by Goenai Soerinderkoemar, on 12 October 2022. Registration N284GX has been reserved for a little while now.

Airbus Updates No.4464

Brussels Airlines presents new Belgian icon

On 26 March 2025, Brussels Airlines unveiled a new Belgian-icon aircraft to its fleet. This time, the airline has given Airbus A320 OO-SNM (2003) a special livery, honoring the Atomium in Brussels. It flew commercially for the first time from Brussels to Prague on 27 March 2025.

The idea of the Belgian icons is to "introduce the best of Belgium to the world. The Belgian icons are known all over the world and make flying even more fun".

Currently, there are four Airbus A320s wearing a special Belgian-icon livery:

• A320-251N OO-SBB (11790), wearing a Tomorrowland-livery since April 2024
• A320-214 OO-SNB (1493), wearing a Tintin-livery since March 2015
• A320-214 OO-SNM (2003), wearing a Atomium-livery since March 2025
• A320-214 OO-SNO (3831), wearing a Red Devils-livery since November 2022

In the past there were four more Belgian icon-liveries, which were applied on:

• A320-214 OO-SNA (1441), which wore a Red Devils-livery between April 2016 and August 2022
• A320-214 OO-SNC (1797), which wore a Margritte-livery between March 2016-April 2021
• A320-214 OO-SND (1838), which wore a Smurfs-livery between March 2018-January 2024
• A320-214 OO-SNE (4243), which wore a Pieter Bruegel-livery between May 2019 and January 2024

Of these four, only OO-SNE is currently still flying with the airline, the other three have left the fleet.

Photo by Brussels Airlines.

Airbus Updates No.4371

World Atlantic Airways plans Airbus A320-fleet

Aviation news site CH-Aviation has conducted an interview with the COO of World Atlantic Airways. In it, the airline has said it plans to transition to a fleet of Airbus A320s.

Over the last years, World Atlantic has already built experience with A320-operations by wet-leasing one from Fly2Sky. The airline hopes to welcome its first own two Airbuses before the end of the year.

World Atlantic Airways was originally launched as Caribbean Sun Airlines at Fort Lauderdale (FL) in 2002. It launched operations with a single DHC-8-100 in January 2003. In January 2007, it ceased operations. After a failed restart attempt, the company was acquired in 2010 and relaunched and rebranded as World Atlantic Airways.

Today, the airline operates charter and ACMI (Aircraft, Crew, Maintenance and Insurance) flights with a fleet of five McDonnell-Douglas MD-83s. As the fleet is an average of 33 years old, and becoming more difficult to maintain, it's time to replace them.

Airbus Updates No.4319

 

Air India to transfer twenty A320s to low-cost subsidiary

Air India Express (IX, Delhi International) will take up to twenty A320 types from parent Air India (AI, Delhi International) under a fleet optimisation strategy that will see the low-cost carrier increase its flying across domestic and short-haul international routes. Air India will also transfer cabin crew and pilots to Air India Express. According to the Hindu Business Line news outlet, the aircraft will be transferred in phases over the next few months.

Air India Express, which is in the process of merging with AIX Connect (formerly AirAsia India), is predominately a Boeing operator, with twenty-six B737-800s and twenty-six B737-8s, alongside four A320-200Ns and one A320-200. However, that imbalance will resolve when AIX Connect's twenty-three A320-200s and single A320-200N are folded into the fleet. Combined with the incoming Air India stock, the merged low-cost entity will be a predominantly Airbus operator.

Air India presently operates nine A320-200s and forty-six A320-200Ns, with another 125 on order. The news site notes that all but one are configured into a dual-class cabin. However, Air India is expected to convert the 20 heading to Air India Express into a single-cabin configuration. ch-aviation has contacted Air India for comment.

The fleet transfer is one piece of a broader overhaul of the Tata owned airlines that will see Vistara (UK, Delhi International) merge with Air India in addition to a merger between the Tata-owned low-cost carriers. The mergers will reduce the number of Tata Sons airline brands to two. This week, Air India CEO Campbell Wilson said harmonisation processes between the various airlines are underway. The group hopes to complete the mergers by the end of this year.

Airbus Updates No.4276

 

AirAsia launches Cambodia branch

On 2 May 2024, AirAsia Cambodia launched its commercial operations after it secured its Air Operator's Certificate on 30 April 2024. AirAsia's newest branch is based at Phnom Penh and starts with domestic flights serving Siem Reap and Sihanoukvile.

AirAsia Cambodia is a joint-venture between the AirAsia Group owning 51%, and local company Sivilai Asia owning 49% of the new airline. It currently has a single Airbus A320 in the fleet, which is registered XU-819 (5109) and was previously operated by Thai AirAsia. The new airline also has intentions to fly internationally and is planning to expand to other AirAsia hubs like Bangkok, Kuala Lumpur, and Singapore soon.

The AirAsia Group is made-up of AirAsia (based in Malaysia), Indonesia AirAsia, Philippine AirAsia, Thai AirAsia, and Teleport and is owned by investment company Capital A.

Ealier this year, Capital A announced its plans to sell-off AirAsia Group in order to raise funds for growing its other businesses. The company reached an agreement with AirAsia X, in which the AirAsia Group is a minority owner. Once this deal is finalized, AirAsiaX is set to rebrand itself into AirAsia and consolidate all operations under that brand and discontinuing the X-brand.

AirAsia X was founded in 2006 as FlyAsian Express, flying as a domestic carrier. A year later, it was acquired by a joint-venture co-owned by the original founder of AirAsia, and rebranded into AirAsiaX. It was redesigned to become AirAsia's long-haul carrier, operating the Airbus A330-300. In 2014 it also established subsidiaries in Indonesia and Thailand, of which the latter is still flying today.

Airbus Updates No.4270

Vueling supports FC Barcelona Femeni on Airbus A320

On 25 April 2024, Vueling unveiled a special livery supporting the first women's team of FC Barcelona. It was unveiled during a special ceremony at Barcelona-El Prat and has been applied on Airbus A320 EC-MER (6510).

The Airbus conducted its first commercial flight in its new livery a day later, operating as VY4793 from Barcelona to London-Gatwick.

Photo by FC Barcelona.

Airbus Updates No.4254

 

Bees Airlines from Romania receives AOC

Start-up Bees Airlines from Romania has received its Air Operator's Certificate (AOC) on 20 March 2024, clearing the way for the airline to officially launch operations. In February, it took delivery of its first aircraft, Airbus A320 YR-BUZ (1922) and has used it on route-proving flights over the last weeks.

Bees Airlines is based at Bucharest and will operate charter-flights to the Mediterranean. According to CH-Aviation, the airline is planning to replace its current A320 with another in the coming weeks. Its website also shows renderings of Airbus A321s but it's unclear if Bees secured these.

It's interesting to note that this airline has no connection with Ukrainian Bees Airlines, which was launched in 2021 and has been dormant since the beginning of the war in Ukraine.

Illustration by Bees Airlines.

Airbus Updates No.4253

 

Ryanair eyes more A320s for its Lauda Europe unit

Ryanair Holdings is targeting a fleet of around fifty Airbus narrowbodies operated by its Maltese subsidiary Lauda Europe (LW, Malta International), including transitioning to the A320neo Family after 2030, according to group chief executive Michael O'Leary. However, the lack of available aircraft is complicating the plans.

"Airbus is backed up with aircraft deliveries out to 2030. [Lauda] leases only run up to 2028/29. So I would be hopeful of either extending those leases or replacing them with other leased A320ceo until I can get a deal done with Airbus for new Airbus aircraft sometime in the next five to ten years," he told SimpleFlying.

Both A320-200s and A321-200s are being considered.

The Maltese unit is an outlier in the Irish low-cost carrier group's otherwise all-B737 fleet. Lauda Europe is a descendant of Austria-based Lauda, formerly LaudaMotion, which Ryanair Holdings acquired following the collapse of former parent airberlin group by 2019. Having inherited its A320 fleet, the carrier has vacillated between plans to expand the Airbus fleet and add A320neo and drop the aircraft in favour of a unified B737 fleet across its AOCs.

O'Leary said the plan to retire the A320s was not entirely off the table, given issues with securing new A320 aircraft.

"I would like to have a bigger number of Airbus aircraft in the fleet, but at the moment, I can't get them. If I still can't get them by 2028 when we have to return those aircraft, I'll replace them with B737s," he said.

The main driver behind Ryanair Holdings' decision to retain the A320 is the training cost of pilots and crew.

Lauda Europe currently operates twenty-seven A320-200s flying exclusively under Ryanair's 'FR' code. The group's B737 fleet comprises one B737-700, 396 B737-800s, and 145 B737-8-200s across the four Boeing-operating AOCs (Ryanair, Buzz (Poland), Malta Air, and Ryanair UK).

Airbus Updates No.4203

 

SkyUp MT wet-leases two A320s for Egyptian bases

SkyUp MT (U5, Malta International) will wet-lease two A320-200s over the Summer 2024 season to boost its capacity from its Egyptian bases.

On lease from from Fly2Sky (F6, Sofia), LZ-MDI (msn 3378) and LZ-FSD (msn 3461) will operate on behalf of SkyUp MT starting on April 5 and continue until November 5, 2024. They will serve various European and North African routes. Configured in a single-class layout seating up to 180 passengers each, the aircraft are currently wet-leased to Uzbek start-up Humo Air (HJ, Tashkent International), the ch-aviation fleets advanced module shows.

SkyUp MT currently operates two in-house B737-800s, both wet-leased to FlyOne (5F, Chisinau International) in Moldova. Its in-house flights under the 'U5' code are operated by aircraft wet-leased from Ukrainian sister carrier SkyUp Airlines (PQ, Kyiv Boryspil). The Malta-based airline, which is a subsidiary of tour operator Join UP!, launched bases at Hurghada and Sharm el Sheikh airports during the Winter 2023/24 season, initially on a seasonal basis before transitioning to year-round services.

The airline told ch-aviation it would operate from both Hurghada and Sharm el Sheikh during the Summer 2024 season, but exact plans were not finalised yet.

Airbus Updates No.4186

 

Aegean Airlines to wet-lease two A320s

Cyprus Airways Airbus A320-200© Cyprus Airways

27.12.2023 - 09:07 UTC

Aegean Airlines (A3, Athens) will wet-lease two A320-200s from Cyprus Airways (CY, Larnaca) under a long-term ACMI deal covering all of 2024. The first aircraft began operating for the Greek airline on December 19, 2023.

5B-DDQ (msn 4055) was ferried from Larnaca to Thessaloniki on December 18 and operated its first flight for Aegean Airlines to Prague Václav Havel the next day, Flightradar24 ADS-B data shows. The second aircraft, 5B-DDR (msn 3933), will begin operating for the Greek airline in March 2024.

Besides the two A320-200s, Cyprus Airways also operates two A220-300s. The airline is planning to add more A220, considering the type the foundation of its future fleet. The airline operates in a highly seasonal market that has been heavily affected by the drop in demand from/to Israel due to the war in Gaza, as Israel is a key international market for Cyprus.

"We are very happy and proud to take the next step in our strategic cooperation with Aegean. We already have an extensive codeshare agreement in place where we work closely to offer and optimise our joint products and services," Cyprus Airways' Chief Executive Paul Sies said.

In turn, Aegean Airlines operates twenty-eight A320-200s, sixteen A320-200Ns, five A321-200s, twelve A321-200NX, nine ATR72-600s, and a single DHC-8-100. The turboprops are placed on the AOC of Olympic Air.

Airbus Updates no.4175

 

Viet Nam's Bamboo Airways adds A320 capacity for travel peak

Bamboo Airways Fleet© FLC Group

12.12.2023 - 23:57 UTC

In a sign the fleet consolidation process at Bamboo Airways (QH, Hanoi Noi Bai International) has bottomed out, the airline will lease two narrowbody Airbus aircraft to provide extra capacity over the upcoming New Year and Têt (Vietnamese New Year) travel peak.

The carrier confirmed the presumed wet-lease via a December 11, 2023, statement, saying it had sourced a single A320-200 and A321-200 from an unidentified lessor, with the aircraft due to enter service from January 1, 2024. They are the first additions to the Bamboo Airways fleet since the airline underwent a restructuring this year, resulting in many aircraft returning to lessors.

"The successful leasing of two aircraft and increased load to serve the Tet peak season affirms Bamboo Airways' recovery efforts, as well as demonstrates the trust of partners in the airline's existence and development," a spokesperson said.

Bamboo's existing fleet is down to 15 aircraft, including two A320-200s, four A320-200Ns, four A321-200s, and five ERJ 190-100LRs. The airline says the additional two aircraft will boost its available seat capacity by 20% over the holiday period. The Bamboo Airways spokesperson said the airline will deploy most of that additional capacity onto the Ho Chi Minh City - Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh - Da Nang, Ho Chi Minh - Vinh City, Ho Chi Minh - Thanh Hoa, and Ho Chi Minh - Haiphong city pairs.

Airbus Updates No.4172

 

Uzbekistan's Humo Air details network launch plans

Humo Air A320 rendering© Humo Air

11.12.2023 - 06:42 UTC

Humo Air (HJ, Tashkent International) plans to start flying on December 15 after it started selling tickets for flights.

The carrier says it intends to run daily flights from its Tashkent International base to each of Samarkand, Nukus, Urgench, and Karshi. Operations are to be onboard A320-200 equipment although the first has yet to be delivered.

Flights to Almaty, Istanbul, and Dubai are scheduled to start in 2024.

Though already certificated for Special Aviation Operations by the Uzbek civil aviation regulator, Humo Air has yet to secure its commercial passenger services permit. It was acquired by Swiss private equity firm ValleyRoad Capital Humo S.A last year.

Airbus Updates No.4150

 

 

ITA Airways takes delivery of 1st Airbus A321neo

On 10 November 2023, ITA Airways received the keys to its first Airbus A321neo. The aircraft, A321-200NX EI-HXA (11561) was handed over at the Airbus-factory at Hamburg-Finkenwerder. It will soon be ferried to the airline's base at Rome-Fiumicino.

Originally, ITA Airways was planning to put it into service on the route to Tel Aviv but that route is currently suspended by the airline due to the war between Israel and Hamas.

ITA Airways will take delivery of at least nine leased A321-200NXs, which it will equip with twelve Business Class, twelve Premium Economy, and 141 Economy Class-seats. It's mainly planning to deploy the type across destinations in the Middle-East.

The Italian airline has been renewing its fleet with good speed. This year alone, ITA Airways will have taken delivery of 40 new aircraft. Next to the new A321neo, the fleet further consists of one A220-100, seven A220-300s, sixteen A319s, 25 A320s, thirteen A320neos, seven A330-200s, five A330-900s, and six A350-900s.

Airbus Updates No.4148

 

GLOBALX wet-leases Airbus A320 from sister carrier

GLOBALX A320-200© Howard Group/GlobalX

10.11.2023 - 13:48 UTC

GLOBALX (G6, Miami International) has wet-leased an A320-200 from its former subsidiary but now affiliate carrier Canada Jetlines (AU, Toronto Pearson) for November 2023.

C-GJLH (msn 3460) was ferried to Miami International on November 3 and has since been used for operations on behalf of Haiti's Sunrise Airways (S6, Port au Prince), a charter customer of GLOBALX.

It is one of three A320s operated by Canada Jetlines, a carrier which is currently 25%-owned by GLOBALX shareholders but operates independently, focusing on scheduled leisure flights between Canada and destinations in the Caribbean, the United States, and Central America.

GLOBALX, in turn, operates one A319-100, eight A320-200, three A321-200s, one A321-200(P2F), and two A321-200(PCF)s, according to the ch-aviation fleets advanced module.

Airbus Updates No.4146

 

Pakistan's PIA close to settling A320 lease dispute

PIA - Pakistan International Airbus A320-200© PIA - Pakistan International Airlines

10.11.2023 - 01:30 UTC

PIA - Pakistan International Airlines (PK, Islamabad International) is in the final stages of settling its long-running dispute with Asia Aviation Capital Limited (AACL) concerning two A320-200s stuck at Jakarta Soekarno-Hatta. AACL, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Capital A, was claiming USD31 million from PIA. However, the two parties have reportedly agreed on a USD26 million payment.

The parties are close to formally resolving the dispute following a series of meetings in Kuala Lumpur, with a PIA spokesman telling ch-aviation that resolution of the matter was imminent. In the background, the lessor had initiated a case in the UK High Court - Asia Aviation Capital Limited v. Pakistan International Airlines Corporation Limited (case no: CL-2023-000543).

The matter centred on AP-BLY (msn 2926) and AP-BLZ (msn 2944) leased from AACL in 2015 at a per aircraft rate of USD265,000 per calendar month, plus the standard supplementary leasing costs. In 2019, with PIA in arrears, AACL started legal action in the UK, with the court later finding in favour of the lessor. In 2021, AACL ordered the aircraft be ferried to Jakarta for maintenance at the FL Technics Indonesia facility, where they have remained ever since. AACL's legal representatives declined to comment to ch-aviation.

AACL's current claim against PIA for USD31,343,641 alleges the airline failed to return the two aircraft at their lease end date and is claiming unpaid basic rent, redelivery rent, maintenance reserves, and contractual interest. Earlier efforts by PIA to resolve the matter have failed, but last month, ch-aviation reported that a delegation of PIA and Pakistani government officials were heading to Malaysia for talks. Reportedly, PIA's legal representative, Norton Rose Fulbright, advised the airline that their chances of winning the current UK court matter were slight and that they should attempt to mediate a solution.

The soon to be signed agreement will see PIA pay approximately USD26 million. In return, AACL will transfer the titles of the two planes to PIA in two instalments. The Pakistan government's Economic Coordination Committee (ECC) approved bridging finance of PKR8 billion rupees (USD28.9 million) on October 29 to cover the payments.

Airbus Updates No.4135

 

US's Spirit Airlines grounds 25 A320 Family aircraft

Spirit Airlines Airbus A320-200N© Airbus

26.10.2023 - 13:32 UTC

Spirit Airlines (NK, Fort Lauderdale International) pulled 25 planes from service late last week to perform inspections, which the low-cost carrier said was happening "out of an abundance of caution." The all-Airbus operator operates 207 narrowbody aircraft.

Spirit said the checks were "necessary" and would impact its flight schedules. “While this action is being taken out of an abundance of caution, the impact to our network is expected to last several days as we complete the inspections and work to return to normal operations,” the airline's statement reads.

ADS-b data reveals that the airline cancelled 11% of its flights on October 20, 9% on October 21, and 8% on October 22. By October 23, the start of the current working week, the cancellation rate fell to 1% and was less than that the following day. While scores of Spirit's aircraft are impacted by the recall of certain Pratt & Whitney PW1100G engines, FlightGlobal reports that these aircraft went out of service to facilitate inspection of airframe brackets for possible fatigue cracks. A 2018 airworthiness directive details the issue that affects first-generation A320 Family jets but not newer A320neo types.

Spirit operates sixty-two A320-200s and thirty A321-200s among its broader fleet, which also includes twenty-three A319-100s, eight-two A320-200Ns, and eight A321-200NX. It says it will deal with any problems before returning any aircraft to service. However, the airline did not say how long it would take to complete the inspections of the 25 planes. Spirit Airlines did not respond to a request from ch-aviation for further details.