Airbus Updates No.4385

 

airBaltic resumes all Airbus A220 in-house ops

airBaltic (BT, Riga) has ended the wet-leasing in of all aircraft and will operate all of its in-house flights using its own A220-300s during the Winter 2024/25 season.

"Our adaptability this past summer allowed us to maintain all planned operations despite external challenges. Our first priority is always to deliver the best customer experience through focusing solely on our A220-300 fleet, while we have sufficient aircraft availability, and we're committed to expanding and strengthening our fleet to support the growing demand for air travel from our passengers," President and CEO Martin Gauss said.

The Latvian carrier operates forty-eight A220-300s and has 42 more on firm order from Airbus. One delivery is expected "soon." The airline had been forced to resort to multiple wet leases during the summer season largely due to Pratt & Whitney PW1500G engine issues. The ch-aviation fleets module shows that ten A220s are currently inactive.

Gauss told ch-aviation before the peak season that while the situation had improved compared to 2023 (when airBaltic had to wet-lease in up to 14 aircraft), it was not good enough to avoid the use of supplemental ACMI. As of October 2024, the airline contracted six aircraft: three A319-100s (two from Carpatair and one from Avion Express) and three A320-200s (two from Heston Airlines and one from Avion Express). All of them ended operations for airBaltic on October 26, 2024.

airBaltic continues to pursue opportunities to wet-lease its own A220s out to other carriers. Sixteen of its A220s are currently operating for Lufthansa Group carriers: seven for Swiss, five for Eurowings, and four for Lufthansa.

Airbus Updates No.3624

 

Carpatair secures 1st A319

Carpatair is set to introduce its first A319. The aircraft, currently registered LZ-DBH (3041) is set to enter service in December and will become YR-ABA. It's now at Ostrava where it's been painted. This airframe was previously in use with easyJet as G-EZBK and will be leased via DAE Capital.

The A319 will join the airline's fleet of two Fokker 100s. Previously, Carpatair was planning to replace the two Fokkers with two ERJ190s but these plans have been abandoned during the Corona-pandemic. If the A319 is a new alternative replacement or an expansion of the fleet is currently unknown. Both Fokkers are almost 30 years old.

Carpatair was founded in December 1999 and nowadays offers charter- and ACMI-flights. Over the years, next to the Fokker 100s, it operated two ATR72s, two B737-300s, a single BAe146-200, three Fokker 70s, six Saab 340s and twelve Saab 2000s.