Hi Fly To Take Delivery of the A330Neo
Portuguese airline Hi Fly which specializes in wet lease, is to renew its fleet. The carrier currently has 10 A330Neos on order, the first of which is set to be delivered by June 2019. In addition to this, Hi Fly is expected to take delivery of 2 Airbus A380s that it has on order, although it is not confirmed that the airline has ordered the aircraft. During an interview, the airlines' CEO said that they are looking to acquire 2 second-hand Airbus A380s, although no official confirmation has been given to say that the airline has ordered these aircraft. The acquisition of these aircraft came as a surprise, as the A380 is becoming less and less popular.
The Portuguese carrier operates a fleet mainly consisting of Airbus A330s and A340s that are wet-leased to other carriers. To keep a young and environmentally-friendly fleet, Hi Fly has selected the A330-900Neo to renew its fleet. The new Airbus jets are said to be configured with 365 passengers in a 3 class layout consisting of Economy, Premium Economy and Business class. The business class has lie flat beds, allowing passengers to sleep during flight. Depending on the prefered configuration of airlines, the aircraft can be quickly reconfigured with an all economy class layout with 415 seats.
One of HiFlys long standing customers, Air Austral, has extended its lease on an Airbus A330-200 which is wet-leased from HiFly.
The aircraft was supposed to be returned to HiFly March 25, however the lease expiry date was extended, to 12 June 2018. This aircraft is fitted with 266 seats. Thanks to increased demand during the summer season, between 13 June 2018 and 4 July 2018, Air Austral will lease another one of HiFlys A330s equipped with 330 seats. The airline has scheduled its jets to serve the following routes from its hub at St. Denis de la Reunion:
- Bangkok (twice weekly)
- Dzaoudzi (four times weekly)
The latter will be operated 5 times weekly by June 13 2018, when the airlines' newest Airbus A330 leased from HiFly will have been delivered.
It is said that HiFly has ordered 2 second-hand Airbus A380s. The A380 was never as successful as hoped, and the end of its production is edging nearer every year. Although one of the most known carriers in the world, Emirates has over 100 of the type in its fleet, however other airlines are not so keen to order the A380. In fact, Singapore Airlines, has recently returned its A380 to their lessor, after the end of the 10 year contract came to an end. This event marked the first ever A380 to ever be returned/retired. HiFly had planned operate/lease out their aircraft by spring 2018, although the aircraft have not yet been delivered, and it is still uncertain whether the iarline has actually ordered the A380. They can generally seat over 500 people, so it can be quite difficult for an airline to fill the plane and make a sufficient profit out of it. However, seasonally, an airline may be able to just about fill the enormous jet thanks to the increased demand in different seasons. It is uncertain whether the carrier will be able to accumulate demand for the aircraft, but HiFly seems to have hope.
The A330Neos that the carrier has ordered are set to be delivered by June 2019. The airline has said that it wishes to keep, an efficient, environmentally friendly, and young fleet. HiFly is one of the most successful wet-lease carriers in the world and for many, is a name to remember. Airlines all around the world tend to face issues with their aircraft, forcing them to cancel many of their flights. Luckily, HiFly usually has an available aircraft to cover for the airlines' services. For example, Air New Zealand recently had issues with its Boeing 787-9 dreamliners and was forced to cancel a few flights. The airline found HiFly, and leased an A340 from the carrier to cover for the affected flights including flights from Auckland to Australia.
HiFly is a helpful, yet efficient carrier and the A330-900Neos are set to give airlines, a taste of the carriers capabilities.