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SmartLynx Airlines

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SmartLynx Airlines
IATA ICAO Call sign
6Y ART SMART LYNX
Founded1992 (as LatCharter)
Commenced operations1993
Operating basesRiga International Airport, TLL, MLA
Subsidiaries
Fleet size53
Parent companyAvia Solutions Group
HeadquartersMazrudas, Mārupe, Latvia
Key peopleZygimantas Surintas (CEO)[1]
Employees350+
Websitesmartlynx.aero

SmartLynx Airlines Limited, previously LatCharter, is a Latvian charter airline based in Mārupe,[2] operating flights on wet lease out (ACMI), holiday charter flights, and ad-hoc passenger charter flights across Europe, Africa and Asia.[2]

History

A former LatCharter Airbus A320-200

The privately owned company started operations in 1993 with a leased Tupolev Tu-134B.[3] In 2001, the Tupolev fleet was replaced with the larger Yakovlev Yak-42 and in 2003, first Airbus A320-200 was inducted into the service on behalf of the airline.[3]

In 2006, Loftleiðir, the aircraft lease arm of Icelandair Group, acquired a majority 55% shareholding in the LatCharter stock, and eventually the whole company.[4]

In 2007, the airline expanded its fleet by adding five more A320-200s and two 767-300s.[5] The aircraft were wet-leased to different airlines around the world. Since then, the ACMI market has been the company's primary focus, having operated for numerous carriers such as Air Malta,[6] SBA Airlines,[7] Finnair,[8] Condor.[9] In 2008, the company was renamed SmartLynx Airlines.[10]

In 2012, the airline was bought from Icelandair in a management buy-out[11] also forming a single aircraft subsidiary Smartlynx Airlines Estonia to serve Estonian tour operators.[12][13][14]

In 2016, the company was bought by a Netherlands-based investment fund.[15] In 2019, the airline established a subsidiary in Malta (SmartLynx Malta). SmartLynx Airlines also became a family member of Avia Solutions Group.[citation needed]

In 2020, the airline expanded into air cargo transportation.[citation needed] In 2021, SmartLynx and DHL signed a partnership agreement. The partnership will include two of SmartLynx Malta A321-200s transporting freight and goods on behalf of the Deutsche Post subsidiary. In October 2021, SmartLynx announced the establishment of an in-house line maintenance centre, SmartLynx Technik.[16] In December 2021, the airlines announced plans to open a new office in Vilnius, Lithuania. [17]

In February 2022, SmartLynx Airlines signed an agreement with SMBC Aviation Capital to lease first two Boeing 737 MAX 8 aircraft. [18] In March 2022, SmartLynx announced the introduction of first Airbus A330-300 freighters to its fleet. [19] In 2022, SmartLynx Airlines also celebrated its 30th anniversary.

Training centre

SmartLynx Training Centre is an approved training organization (ATO) in the Baltic States, providing type rating courses for Airbus A320 family and recurrent training for Boeing 737 MAX 8 aircraft.[citation needed]

Fleet

SmartLynx Airlines Airbus A320-200
SmartLynx Airlines Airbus A330-300

As of December 2022, SmartLynx Airlines fleet - including all subsidiaries - consists of the following aircraft:[20][21]

SmartLynx Airlines fleet
Aircraft In service Orders Passengers Notes
Airbus A320-200 29 1[21] 180 10 operated by SmartLynx Airlines Estonia
7 operated by SmartLynx Airlines Malta
Airbus A321-200 7 1[21] 220 3 operated by SmartLynx Airlines Malta
Airbus A321-200P2F 4 1[21] Cargo operated by SmartLynx Airlines Malta for DHL Aviation
Airbus A330-300 6 — 255
312
365
367 		operated by SmartLynx Airlines Malta
Boeing 737 MAX 8 4 — 189 operated by SmartLynx Airlines Malta
Total 53 3

See also

References

  1. ^ Dron, Alan (11 May 2018). "SmartLynx to focus expansion on North and Central America". Air Transport World. Archived from the original on 12 May 2018.
  2. ^ a b "About SmartLynx Airlines Archived 2014-02-02 at the Wayback Machine." About SmartLynx Airlines. Retrieved on 24 January 2014. "Address Mazrūdas, Mārupes novads, LV-2167."
  3. ^ a b "SmartLynx Airlines". www.smartlynx.aero. [verification needed]
  4. ^ "Loftleidir Icelandic acquires a minority stake in LatCharter Airlines". Alacra. Retrieved 2009-11-26. `Loftleidir Icelandic of Iceland (LI), a unit of FL Group, planned to acquire the remaining ... stake, which it did not already own, in LatCharter Airlines (LC), a Riga-based provider of charter flights services. Concurrently, LI acquired a…' Cite web requires|website= (help) [verification needed]
  5. ^ "LatCharter Airlines". Icelandair Group. Retrieved 2014-01-24. `total of nine aircraft, including two 767-300ERs.' Cite web requires|website= (help) [verification needed]
  6. ^ "Air Malta News Update". Ch-aviation. Retrieved 2014-01-24. Cite web requires|website=(help) [verification needed]
  7. ^ "SBA Airlines News Update". Ch-aviation. Retrieved 2014-01-24. Cite web requires|website=(help) [verification needed]
  8. ^ "Finnair will use A320-200 wet-leased from SmartLynx in September/October". Ch-aviation. Retrieved 2014-01-24. Cite web requires|website= (help) [verification needed]
  9. ^ "Latvia's SmartLynx wet-leasing A320s to Corendon and Condor". Ch-aviation. Retrieved 2014-01-24. Cite web requires|website=(help) [verification needed]
  10. ^ A Leap Forward – LatCharter Becomes SmartLynx Archived 2014-02-02 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved on 24 January 2014." [verification needed]
  11. ^ SmartLynx Airlines separates from Icelandair Group. Archived 2013-09-10 at the Wayback Machine [verification needed]
  12. ^ SmartLynx Airlines Estonia. Archived 2014-02-02 at the Wayback Machine [verification needed]
  13. ^ "SmartLynx establishes Estonian subsidiary for Tallinn charter flights". Ch-aviation. Retrieved 2014-01-24. Cite web requires|website= (help) [verification needed]
  14. ^ "Aviation Photo Search". Airliners.net. [verification needed]
  15. ^ "SmartLynx Airlines changes its logotype - News - Corporate - SmartLynx Airlines". www.smartlynx.aero. [verification needed]
  16. ^ Staff, Asian Aviation (2021-10-19). "SmartLynx opens new line MRO". Asian Aviation. Retrieved 2022-02-07.
  17. ^ "SmartLynx Airlines' expansion: a new competence and innovation centre is set to be opened in Vilnius". SmartLynx. Retrieved 2022-07-20.
  18. ^ "StackPath". www.smartlynx.aero. Retrieved 2022-07-20.
  19. ^ "SmartLynx Airlines to introduce first Airbus A330-300 freighters to its fleet". SmartLynx. Retrieved 2022-07-20.
  20. ^ "Fleet - Corporate - SmartLynx Airlines". www.smartlynx.aero. Retrieved 18 December 2022.
  21. ^ a b c d "SmartLynx Fleet Details and History". Planespotters.net. Retrieved 18 December 2022.

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