LONDON – Canada Jetlines announced yesterday that it has signed a lease agreement with CCB Leasing for its second Airbus A320 aircraft.
It is understood that delivery of the aircraft will occur on November 30, which will be a vital point of the airline’s slow and gradual expansion.
Doyle: Expansion On The Way…
Commenting on the agreement was Eddy Doyle, the CEO of Canada Jetlines:
“I am pleased that we have a definitive agreement for our second aircraft”.
“The Airbus A320 is a fuel-efficient, narrow-body framework that supports a high-density seat configuration.”
“Canada Jetlines completed its licensing process last August and inaugural flight on September 22, 2022, and will be using the aircraft to expand its network in time for the upcoming winter travel season.”
Also commenting on the deal was Kevin Mi, the Global Head of Aviation for CCB Leasing:
“We are excited about our relationship with Canada Jetlines and the innovative offering which they are bringing to the Canadian aviation market.”
The A320 in Question…
The A320 in question is MSN5995, which converts to an 8.7-year-old Airbus A320-200 aircraft that started out life with Pegasus Airlines as TC-DCD.
MSN5995 was originally estimated to LAN Airlines, but the carrier never took the frame up, hence why it went to Pegasus instead.
The aircraft was delivered to Pegasus in March 2014 via a ferry flight between Hamburg Finkenwerder and Istanbul Sabiha Gokcen International Airport.
The aircraft remained with the airline until August 27, 2022, before being stored in Malta on September 1, where the aircraft has been since.
Based on the data from Planespotters.net, the aircraft hasn’t been given its new registration with Canada Jetlines at the time of writing.
Not Even A Month Since Operational Start…
Back in September, the airline kicked off its operations with its inaugural flight between Toronto’s Pearson Airport (YYZ) and Calgary (YYC).
Entering into service with just one Airbus A320, this aircraft will make twice-weekly trips between YYZ – YYC. The focus will be on providing value to travelers both within Canada and across the Americas and the Caribbean.
Although yet to be announced officially, U.S services are planned to start within the next three months.
Plans outlined by company chief commercial officer Duncan Bureau suggest that they are scheduled to take delivery of a second Airbus during December of this year to support expansion. By 2025, the carrier has designed to have a fleet of 15 Airbus aircraft.
A Competitive Market…
Canada Jetlines Chief Operating Officer Eddy Doyle is not the only one in Canada to have had the idea of creating an airline in a post-pandemic world. Both Flair Airlines and Calgary-based Lynx have been attempting to provide value-for-money travel to passengers since 2019.
Lynx re-launched in late 2021 and had hoped to be operating over 80 flights a week by the midpoint of this year. The one advantage Lynx had was that it was spawned from Enerjet.
Previously having been in service since 2006, it was introduced in an attempt to claim a share of the market that WestJet & Air Canada have long had a stranglehold on. Lynx Air presently has six Boeing 737 MAX 8 jets in service but has orders for over fifty more.
Flair Airlines has also undergone an overhaul in recent times. February 2019 saw a rebranding exercise that brought a change to company colors, staff uniforms, and aircraft livery. Flair operates an all Boeing fleet of twenty aircraft with a further ten 737 MAX 8 ordered.
So, it does show that this is a competitive market, and Canada Jetlines wants to make its mark as quickly as possible.
