At 10:36 a.m. yesterday, Saturday, the Airbus A320 registered LY-VEL landed at Buenos Aires Ezeiza International Airport. The aircraft, owned by the lessor Avion Express, will temporarily join Flybondi’s fleet under a wet lease arrangement (lease with crew) during the summer to support the ultra-low-cost carrier’s operations, which have faced significant strain over the past year, causing delays and cancellations.
This situation, as explained on multiple occasions by the low-cost carrier, originated when the government of Alberto Fernández, amid rising inflation and the devaluation of the Argentine peso, imposed strict restrictions on access to foreign currency. This made it impossible for Flybondi to meet leasing payments and perform maintenance tasks abroad in a timely manner, as well as maintain an adequate inventory of spare parts to quickly address minor contingencies. Although the foreign currency access situation has improved over the past year, it is still far from ideal.
The LY-VEL departed from Vilnius, Lithuania, on Wednesday, November 20, and made stops in Reykjavik, Montreal, Miami, and Trujillo before arriving in Buenos Aires.
This is the second Airbus A320 to join Flybondi’s fleet under an ACMI lease (Aircraft, Crew, Maintenance, and Insurance), following the LY-MLJ, which arrived in Buenos Aires on Friday morning.
As we noted in another article, the ACMI model allows airlines to access fully equipped aircraft with crew and maintenance services included. This represents an efficient solution to meet fluctuating passenger demand, especially during peak seasons.
The LY-VEL was delivered to Spanair in May 2003 and was acquired by Avion Express in 2014, after which it has rotated among various European airlines.
Flybondi also received two other Boeing 737-800 aircraft from Spanish carrier Albastar a couple of weeks ago. These planes will also reinforce the ultra-low-cost airline’s capacity during the peak summer season, bringing its fleet to 19 aircraft.
