As we reported earlier this morning, the Airbus A320 registration LY-MLJ from Avion Express landed at 2:59 PM local time at Ezeiza International Airport to temporarily join Flybondi’s fleet.
This aircraft is one of two A320s initially placed by Avion Express with Flybondi under the ACMI model (Aircraft, Crew, Maintenance, and Insurance), meaning it is operated by Avion Express crew.
The second A320, registration LY-VEL, is also en route from Vilnius and arrived in Miami today after making stops in Reykjavik and Montreal. Avion Express is part of Avia Solutions Group, one of the largest leasing companies in the world, which last week placed an order for up to 80 Boeing 737 MAX aircraft. Flybondi is their first customer in South America.
LY-VEL was initially delivered to Spanair in May 2003 and joined Avion Express in 2014, rotating through various European airlines since then. LY-MLJ was delivered to Wizz Air in April 2009 and became part of Avion Express in May 2022, having been operated by airlines such as Transavia France, Sun Express, Pegasus, and Viva Aerobus.
As noted in a previous article, the ACMI model allows airlines to access fully equipped aircraft, complete with crew and maintenance services, offering an efficient solution to respond to fluctuating passenger demand, particularly during peak seasons.
In volatile markets such as Argentina, this model is critical to avoid permanently oversizing airline capacity, which could later lead to financial strain to sustain operations.
Flybondi also received two additional Boeing 737-800s from Spain’s Albastar a few weeks ago, aimed at strengthening the ultra-low-cost carrier’s capacity during the peak summer season.
With this, Flybondi’s operational fleet will grow to 19 aircraft, enabling the airline to better mitigate contingencies that result in delays and cancellations.
