Small Planet Airlines redelivered two old Boeing 737-300 aircraft to the leasing company at the end of last year and will return the remaining two after this Summer season. From then on, the company will operate all-A320 fleet across it’s two Air Operator Certificates (AOCs) in Poland and Lithuania.
In order to replace the ageing 737-300s, and to capture new growth opportunities, Small Planet Airlines has leased 5 Airbus A320 aircraft.
Small Planet Airlines Poland and Small Planet Airlines Lithuania combined will use 9 aircraft in total this Summer (3 in Poland and 2 in each of Lithuania, France and Great Britain).
“Following the leasing of the new aircraft, the company’s fleet became one of the freshest among the European charter airlines. We will aim to maintain an average fleet age of about 10 years,” said Vytautas Kaikaris, CEO of Small Planet Airlines. “By renewing our fleet, we are aiming at more efficient operations. A320s, compared with Boeing 737-300s, have bigger capacity and lower fuel consumption per seat. In addition, they are more reliable and that should help with punctuality.”
According to Mr. Kaikaris, the company used only Airbus A320 aircraft in Poland last year and the strategy paid off, with Small Planet Airlines making a profit in the Polish market.
Small Planet Airlines is leasing the additional aircraft from CIT Aerospace, MC Aviation Partners (MCAP), International Lease Finance Corporation (ILFC), Aviation Capital Group (ACG) and World Star Aviation.
About Small Planet Airlines
Small Planet Airlines is a holiday charter airline holding two Air Operator Certificates in Poland and Lithuania. The countries where Small Planet Airlines operates include Great Britain, France, Poland and Lithuania. The company works with the largest European tour operators and performs flights on their behalf to Greece, Spain, Turkey, Egypt and other holiday destinations. The company also provides ad-hoc flights for governmental delegations, athletes and private individuals. At the end of March this year, the company was bought out by its management.
