SmartLynx plans A321 freighter market exit

Four years after entering the freighter market with its first A321F, SmartLynx Airlines is making a retreat as part of a fleet restructure. SmartLynx plans to return most of its A321 freighters to lessors by mid-2025 and will eventually phase out its freighter fleet entirely, the Latvia-based carrier told Cargo Facts. [caption id="attachment_57149229" align="aligncenter" width="2560"] SmartLynx began ACMI flying for DHL in 2021. (Courtesy/SmartLynx)[/caption] SmartLynx declined to confirm a definite timeline for completion of the phaseout. The fleet restructure calls for SmartLynx to only operate A320s and A321s, a decision that will make growth sustainable, align the airline with parent company Avia Solutions Group’s strategic goals and strengthen SmartLynx in the long term, Chief Executive Edvinas Demenius said in a statement. The move could release as many as fourteen A321Fs into the open market. Ambitious growth SmartLynx was the world’s third A321 freighter operator and the first for 321 Precision Conversions’ A321-200PCF program . It began flying a 1998-vintage A321-200PCF (891, ex-Air Mediterranee) on lease from Vallair and in ACMI service for DHL Express in June 2021. SmartLynx’s second freighter was a 1999-vintage A321-200P2F (1017, ex-R Airlines), also on lease from Vallair and also in ACMI service for DHL Express . The young and ambitious ACMI and charter specialist continued to expand by leasing more A321Fs, taking five from Cross Ocean Partners , five from Aero Capital Solutions and two from JLPS Ireland , growing to fourteen of the type by the end of 2024. The aircraft include Precision A321PCFs and EFW A321P2Fs, with a mix of CFM56 and V2500 engines. At one point, SmartLynx intended to expand into the widebody-freighter segment by leasing up to six A330-300P2Fs from CAM. However, the carrier told Cargo Facts around May 2024 that it had shelved those plans to focus on maximizing use of its A321Fs. Inactive fleet Even before the announcement, many of SmartLynx’s freighters had not been active. The 1999-vintage unit 1017 stopped flying at the end of January because the ACMI arrangement with DHL ended, with the aircraft arriving in Cologne (CGN) on March 2 after about a month in Erfurt (ERF); The 1998-vintage unit 891 stopped flying for DHL at the end of January and arrived in Riga (RIX) on March 1 after about a month at ERF; The 2000-vintage units 1185 and 1241 arrived in Goodyear, Ariz. (GYR), for storage on Feb. 3 and Feb. 15, respectively; The 2004-vintage unit 2303 stopped flying for DHL at the end of January and arrived at RIX on Jan. 31; The 2001-vintage unit 1487 stopped flying for DHL at the end of January and arrived at RIX on Feb. 1; The 1999-vintage unit 941 has been in East Midlands (EMA) since September 2024; The 2000-vintage unit 1204 has been in Tallinn (TLL) since August 2024; The 2002-vintage unit 1713 has been in Budapest (BUD) since August 2024; The 2004-vintage unit 2290 has been at RIX since April 2024; and The 1998-vintage unit 775, which SmartLynx had subleased to Brazilian startup Levu Air Cargo , has been in Manaus (MAO) since December 2024. Three A321Fs (961, 974 and 1207) appear to be in service, with the 1999-vintage unit 961 having begun ACMI flying for Austria-based aircraft charter and management company Skyside in November 2024. Challenging A321F market The A321 freighter market has been challenging for both lessors and operators due to factors including overcapacity, engine supply and costs. Excluding the SmartLynx fleet, Cargo Facts believes there are as many as ten A321 freighters that are parked and not on lease, including: A 2001-vintage A321-200PCF (1451) that Petrus Aviation put up for sale or lease after it completed conversion in late 2024; A 2003-vintage A321-200PCF (1963) that has been in storage in Marana, Ariz. (MZJ), since August 2024; A 2004-vintage A321-200P2F (2190) that arrived for storage in Tucson, Ariz. (TUS), on Jan. 31; A 2006-vintage A321-200P2F (2713) that completed conversion around July 2024; A 2006-vintage A321-200PCF (2919) that Nexus Aviation Ventures put up for sale around July 2024; A 2008-vintage A321-200P2F (3749) that BBAM bought from Titan Airways in 2024. Meanwhile, CAM said this week that it has five A321-200PCFs that have completed conversion and are ready for lease in 2025. Register now for Cargo Facts' essential regional events for industry stakeholders: Cargo Facts Asia 2025 on March 24-26 at the W Shanghai in China; and Cargo Facts EMEA 2025 on May 6-8 at the Shangri-La Bosphorus in Turkey.

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