Small Planet Airlines will take delivery of 3 A320s this year. One has already been delivered and two more are expected in spring. A record of 11 aircraft will be utilized by the airline this summer – 9 A320s and 2 737-300s – acrossits bases in UK, Poland, Lithuania and France.
Better economy in Europe is fuelling passenger numbers planning their holidays abroad and this in turn increases demand for charter flights by the tour operators. Small Planet Airlines is well positioned to capture this additional demand due to its competitive cost structure and ability to add more aircraft when other charter airlines are struggling to source capacity.
In Lithuania, which is the company’s home market, the airline will operate 2 A320s for the first time. In 2012, the airline operated 2 737-300s in Lithuania; in 2013, the capacity grew to 1 A320 and 1 737-300; in 2014, 2 A320s will be operated from Vilnius.
In Poland, the fastest growing charter market in Europe, the airline will operate 4 A320s. This is one aircraft more than last year when its presence in Poland was with 3 A320s. Small Planet Airlines proceeds to grow cautiously in the Polish market which is very price competitive and plagued by ailing airlines and fragmented tour operators.
In UK, the airline will continue the same operation like last year, where Manchester was served with 1 737-300 and Gatwick with an A320.
The French operation is still not finalized and is likely to be reduced to 1 A320 in Paris.
The additionalA320, MSN 883 bearing registration marks SP-HAE, was leased from CIT Aerospace. The remaining two A320sare scheduled to arrive in March and May – these aircraft have been signed with Aircastle and CIT Aerospace.
"This year for the first time we will keep 1 A320s as a backup unit. It will enable us to respond much quicker to unexpected flight irregularities and reduce the risk of long delays for our passengers,” said Vytautas Kaikaris, CEO of Small Planet Airlines. “We have grown to a size where it makes sense to keep a back-up unit, which is a strong competitive advantage over other smaller charter carriers who are still too small to have a stand-by.”
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