LONON – SmartLynx airlines has signed an agreement with the Air Transport Services Groups to be one of the first customers to take delivery of six Airbus A330-300 P2F (Passenger 2 Freighter) converted aircraft under the terms of a six-year leasing agreement as the airline looks to bolster its position as a leading air cargo carrier.
Commenting on the announcement Zygimantas Surintas, CEO of SmartLynx Airlines said: “The introduction of the A330-300 is a logical step and one which creates relevant synergies with the rest of our fleet – A330 Pax and A321F units – and as an aircraft which will see increased popularity in a post-Covid environment.”
“For us, the move comes as part of our fleet modernization strategy providing greater capacity and efficiency and is another step towards SmartLynx Airlines becoming a leading global player in the air cargo marketplace.”
The first aircraft of the order of six is expected to join the SmartLynx fleet in 2023 and will allow SmartLynx to continue to focus on providing aviation services and solutions for worldwide markets while also allowing it to focus on operating a more modern, and environmentally friendly fleet of aircraft.
Mike Berger, Chief Commercial Officer with ATSG said: “We welcome SmartLynx Airlines as the first customer for our A330 lease deployments,”
“We intend to continue expanding our lease options for e-commerce and express shipping customers around the world while providing a suite of complementary service options, including engine and airframe maintenance support, flight services, and logistics.”