Airbus Updates No.4551

 

Spirit Airlines to reject 87 aircraft leases

Spirit Aviation Holdings, parent entity of Spirit Airlines, has petitioned the US Bankruptcy Court for an authorisation to reject 87 aircraft leases, including nineteen A320-200s, sixty-five A320-200Ns, and three A321-200NXs. The batch amounts to more than a third of the LCC's current fleet.

These lease rejections are on top of the recent agreement Spirit secured with its biggest lessor, AerCap, which included authorisation to reject the lease agreements of 27 aircraft (nineteen A320-200Ns and eight A321-200NXs). In total, the carrier is proposing to trim its fleet by more than a half from the current 214 aircraft to 100.

All 87 aircraft listed for rejection in the new filing are to be surrendered on October 27, 2025 at Goodyear. The impacted lessors are:

• Air Lease Corporation: one A321-200NX;
• Airborne Capital: one A320-200;
• Aircastle: one A320-200 and four A320-200Ns;
• Aviation Capital Group: seven A320-200Ns, and two A321-200NX;
• Avolon: two A320-200s, and two A320-200N;
• DAE Capital: two A320-200s and one A320-200N;
• Fuyo General Lease: five A320-200Ns;
• GA Telesis: one A320-200;
• ICBC Financial Leasing: three A320-200Ns,
• Jackson Square Aviation: one A320-200 and eighteen A320-200Ns;
• Merx Aviation Finance: three A320-200s and one A320-200N
• ORIX Aviation: one A320-200s and two A320-200Ns;
• SMBC Aviation Capital: four A320-200s and twenty-one A320-200N;
• ST Engineering: two A320-200s;
• Stratos: one A320-200s; and
• Vmo Aircraft Leasing: one A320-200N.

Many of the aircraft to be rejected are already out of service, the airline said. ch-aviation data shows Spirit’s fleet currently comprises sixty-two A320-200s, ninety-one A320-200s, twenty-nine A321-200s, and thirty-two A321-200NXs. Of this total, only 149 are currently active.

“As a key component of the chapter 11 process, Spirit has identified cost savings to be achieved through a significant reduction in its fleet by eliminating aircraft and other related equipment that currently are not, or soon will not be, used to generate revenue in Spirit’s businesses. This reduction and rationalisation of Spirit’s fleet will create a surplus of aircraft and other related equipment,” the company said.

Fred Cromer, the company's chief financial officer, added that the carrier "is committed to redesigning its network to focus its flying on key markets to provide more destinations, frequencies and enhanced connectivity in certain of its focus cities, while simultaneously reducing its presence in certain other cities. To do so, Spirit must right-size its fleet to match capacity with profitable demand."

Spirit Airlines' previous Chapter 11 process, which began in late 2024 and ended in March 2025, did not include the renegotiation of aircraft lease terms. Instead, the LCC focused on other cost-saving measures, which ultimately proved not to be enough to put the low-cost carrier in a secure financial position.

In its initial Chapter 11 filing, early in the year, Spirit Airlines did not renegotiate the terms of its fleet, focusing on other cost-saving measures. This ultimately proved not to be enough to put the low-cost carrier in a secure financial position.

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.

Airbus Updates No.3410

 

Aruba Airlines takes delivery of first A321

© Tis Meyer (PlanePics.org)

07.06.2021 - 13:27 UTC

Aruba Airlines (AG, Aruba) has taken delivery of its first A321-200, P4-AAI (msn 2919), in the first indication that it may be restarting services after having been dormant for 10 months due to the COVID-19 crisis.

FlightRadar24 ADS-B data reveals the 14.6-year old twin-jet was ferried from lessor DAE Capital in Dothan in Alabama, via Fort Lauderdale Int'l, to Aruba on March 27, 2021, where it has been on the ground for the past week.

It flew as TC-JMC with Turkish Airlines (TK, Istanbul New) until May 2020, whereafter it was re-registered as LZ-DAC and parked at Dothan airport on return to the lessor. According to the ch-aviation fleets history module, the aircraft also operated with Ansett Worldwide Aviation Services as OE-ICJ in 2013, and under VT-KFP with now-defunct Indian carrier Kingfisher Airlines (IT, Mumbai Int'l) in 2012.

According to FlightRadar24 data, the rest of Aruba Airlines' fleet remains grounded. The carrier’s A320-200, P4-AFF leased from Avenue Capital Aircraft Holdings has been stored at Havana Int'l, Cuba, since March 20, 2020, while A320-200 P4-AAH was repositioned from Havana to San José Juan Santamaría on August 7, 2020.

As previously reported, the airline retired its sole CRJ200, P4-CRA, after it was forced to suspend its only active scheduled route at the time to Curacao due to COVID border restrictions.

In its absence, Aruba is currently served by American Airlines (AA, Dallas/Fort Worth), JetBlue Airways (B6, New York JFK), Delta Air Lines (DL, Atlanta Hartsfield Jackson), and Southwest Airlines (WN, Dallas Love Field), FlightRadar24 ADS-B data reveals.

Airbus Updates No.3335

Florida’s GLOBALX takes delivery of first Airbus A321-200

GLOBALX Airbus A321-200© Howard Group Inc.

19.04.2021 - 07:10 UTC

American charter and cargo start-up Global Crossing Airlines Group, operating as GLOBALX (Miami Int'l), has taken delivery of its first A321-200, N277GX (msn 2480), leased from Lithuania-based Magnetic Leasing.

It was ferried in the Floridian start-up’s livery from Tallinn Lennart Meri to Miami Int'l via Reykjavik Keflavik and Bangor on April 14-15, ch-aviation analysis of Flightradar24 and AirNav RadarBox ADS-B data shows. GLOBALX has said it intends the A321 to provide services to Cuba, subject to governmental approvals.

The 16-year-old aircraft was previously operated as VN-A349 by Vietnam Airlines (VN, Hanoi) between May 2005 and August 2019, with a spell as XU-349 at Cambodia Angkor Air (K6, Siem Reap) from April 2012 to March 2017, according to the ch-aviation fleets history module. It is configured with seating for 183, including 171 in economy and 12 in business.

It joins A320-200 N276GX (msn 2695), a 15.2-year-old twinjet owned by DAE Capital, which the start-up took delivery of on January 1, 2021.

As previously reported, last month GLOBALX said it had expanded its “strategic partnership” with Latvia’s SmartLynx Airlines beyond a damp lease agreement forged between the two in May 2020. This included cooperation in several areas during the US carrier’s Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) certification, which it had hoped to complete by the end of March.

Operating from two bases, Miami and Atlantic City, GLOBALX ultimately aims to provide charter capacity for major airlines, tour operators, professional and collegiate sports teams, casinos, and corporate groups, as well as direct-to-consumer charters under its Part 380 regulations.

Airbus Updates No.3003

 MNG Airlines to add 1 A330-300P2F, cancels orders for 3 A330-200Fs

In Airbus' latest December update, it became clear that MNG Airlines has decided to scrap its order for three A330-200Fs. With these cancelled orders, Airbus now has no A330-200Fs on its backlog left.

However, as MNG Airlines still has a need for additional capacity, the airline has, according to CH-Aviation, decided to add an A330-300P2F to its fleet. The aircraft is former China Southern Airlines B-6086 (879), which is currently registered VQ-BSO and owned by DAE Capital. It's now at Singapore-Changi to be converted into freighter and delivery is expected by August of this year.

MNG Airlines was founded in 1996 and launched flights in 1997. It currently has a fleet of seven A300-600(F)s and one A330-200F. The company also owns Solinair from Slovenia, which also operates two A300-600(F)s.

credit : scramble.nl

Airbus Updates No.2533

AirAsia X asks for lease deferrals on Airbus A330-300's

Air Asia X Airbus A330-300 © Tis Meyer (PlanePics.org)

27.02.2020 - 10:01 UTC

AirAsia X (D7, Kuala Lumpur Int'l) has asked lessors to either waive or defer lease payments for its A330-300s due to the financial impact of the Covid-19 epidemic, Flightglobal has reported citing unnamed sources.

The carrier did not confirm the report but said that its exposure to the crisis is high as over 30% of its pre-epidemic capacity was to and from China.

According to the ch-aviation fleets advanced module, AirAsia X operates twenty-four A330-300s, of which twenty are leased from ICBC Financial Leasing, Avenue Capital Aircraft Holdings, BOC Aviation (three each), Aircastle, Asia Pacific Aviation Leasing Group, DAE Capital (two each), China Minsheng Investment Group, Macquarie AirFinance, Sierra Echo Aircraft Leasing, Seraph Aviation Management, and Stratos (one each).

Two unnamed lessors said that they were willing to discuss some relief to the long-haul low-cost carrier but were unlikely to accept lease rate waivers.

Airbus Updates No.2142

Fiji Airways to lease two A350-900s from DAE Capital

Illustration of Fiji Airways Airbus A350-900 © Airbus

03.05.2019 - 17:04 UTC

Fiji Airways (FJ, Nadi) has announced it has selected the A350 from Airbus for its widebody fleet renewal and expansion plan.

In a statement, the carrier's Managing Director Andre Viljoen said the two Trent-powered A350-900s will feature 33 lie-flat business class seats and 301 economy class seats. They will be leased from DAE Capital and will deliver in November and December of this year. ch-aviation understands the aircraft were originally destined for Hong Kong Airlines (HX, Hong Kong Int'l).

According to Viljoen, the selection process started in October 2016 given new a five-year plan anticipated 8% capacity growth per annum. The airline then issued RFIs and RFPs to Airbus, Boeing, General Electric, Rolls-Royce, and sixteen lessors for proposals regarding the B787-9, the A330-900, and A350-900. Eventually, the airline's board took the decision to go with DAE Capital and the A350 during a meeting on May 1.

"The new additions to the airline’s widebody fleet will be used to primarily service popular routes between the US and Australia, with exact schedules to be confirmed closer to launch," he said.

Although no new destinations were announced, Fijian Attorney General Aiyaz Sayed-Khaiyum said in his speech the A350s have the potential to connect Fiji with Chicago O'Hare, Vancouver Int'l, Chennai, Dallas/Fort Worth, and even South America.

Fiji Airways currently operates five A330-200s and one A330-300 on flights to South Korea, Japan, Hong Kong, Singapore, Australia, New Zealand, and the US West Coast.

Airbus Updates No.1738

News

China's Hongtu Airlines to lease two A320s from DAE

Hongtu Airlines Airbus A321-200© Hongtu Airlines

21DEC2017

Hongtu Airlines (A6, Kunming Changshui) has signed an agreement with DAE Capital for the lease of two A320-200s. 

In a statement, the UAE-based lessor said the two aircraft are sourced from its Airbus (AIB, Toulouse Blagnac) order book and would deliver in 2018. Both will be equipped with CFM International 56-5B4/3 PIP engines.

Hongtu Airlines operates two A321-200s and is in the process of inducting a pair of A320-200s on lease from LATAM Airlines Group, one of which already has been delivered. It currently operates flights to thirteen destinations across China.