Turkey’s Tailwind Airlines decided to financially assist Ukrainian low-cost carrier SkyUp and received on wet lease one of its Boeing 737-800s, with which it will operate charter flights from Antalya to the Baltic countries.
According to our media partner Aeroin, Tailwind Airlines CEO Mehmet Bostan confirmed to ch-aviation that the wet-lease has been contracted until October 31, 2022. Currently, the Turkish airline’s fleet consists solely of previous-generation 737 aircraft, with a total of five Boeing 737-400s.
Like Ukraine’s largest carrier Ukraine International Airlines, SkyUp is also looking for ways to generate revenue at a time when its country’s airports are closed (or destroyed) and airspace remains off-limits to civilian flights due to the Russian invasion that began on February 24. Chartering aircraft out of Ukraine is one such way to raise money to pay the team.
airBaltic announced in early May that it signed a wet lease agreement with Ukraine International Airlines for a Boeing 737-900ER, which was reinstated into commercial service with the Latvian carrier. Ukraine International Airlines has 12 Boeing 737-800s, four 737-900s, five Embraer E190s, two E195s and two Boeing 767-300s.
In addition to the aircraft leased to Tailwind, SkyUp delivered three others to Corendon Europe (the Maltese subsidiary of the Turkish parent), and one to Air Moldova. The Ukrainian operator told Polish newspaper Rynek Lotniczy that due to leasing and charter contracts, including humanitarian cargo operations, about 40% of its staff is currently on active duty.
