SmartLynx Airlines Joins The Cargo Market With Airbus A330 Freighters
The Image Above: Airbus A330 Freighters will be joining the SmartLynx family. Photo Credit: SmartLynx Airlines.
According to a report from AviationPros, SmartLynx Airlines, which are well known for operating passenger charter services, will be entering the cargo market.
It is understood that five Airbus A330 aircraft will join the carrier's fleet, with a conversion to cargo being the reason for such an acquisition.
The jets are to be delivered both this and next month, with the airline looking to get a chunk of the cargo market, which has been rising exponentially due to the demands caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.
According to the International Air Transport Association (IATA), air cargo demand has hit new records, with demand soaring 9% compared to pre-COVID levels.
Commenting on the news was Zygimantas Surintas, CEO of SmartLynx Airlines who mentioned that this acquisition was part of its expanding service portfolio.
“As one of the leading EU-based ACMI and charter operators on Airbus aircraft, we are excited to substantially grow our fleet and offer our clients different products while diving to long-haul operations. We are constantly expanding our service portfolio and areas of expertise to accommodate the rapidly changing market demand."
"It’s our strong belief that the pandemic and the current global crisis will create many opportunities for growth and development for our company and the whole industry. The addition of the modified Airbus A330 aircraft is a big step forward for SmartLynx Airlines and we are more than excited to see what challenges and victories it will bring”.
”We understand that eventually, the long-haul cargo market will return to the pre-Covid levels, so SmartLynx Airlines plan to return the Airbus A330 aircraft to operate on long-haul passenger flights once that time comes. We believe that our low-cost structure and great efficiency will allow us to create competition to market veterans,”
The Image Above: Aircraft utilization of SmartLynx Airlines'. Click here to find out more information about the airline.
The aircraft will be placed in the Maltese subsidiary of the carrier. For the overall group, the A330 will be an easy choice for the carrier due to its heavy utilization of Airbus aircraft already, with the use of A320s and A321s.
Due to the commonality amongst Airbus aircraft, transitioning pilots onto larger aircraft will require less training and will cost them less money as a result.
With vaccines still needing distribution around the world, as well as other medical supplies and key amenities, it is not too late for the carrier to join this market.
But even when demand for air cargo heads back to pre-COVID levels, conversion is an easy thing that can be achieved by the carrier.
