New aircraft for the growing fleets of the Baltic airlines

Published: 5/19/1999

According to a report from Reuters, the Latvian national carrier, Air Baltic, has added a second Fokker 50, leased from SAS Commuter, to its fleet. It also plans to receive another one at the beginning of June 1999, so completing its fleet upgrade. Air Baltic, which is 38% owned by (SAS) (Concise Aerospace April 1999), claimed that, by June 1999, its fleet would comprise three Fokker 50 and two AVRO RJ 70 aircraft, as well as a 33-seat SAAB 340. Lithuanian Airlines (LAL), the former Aeroflot division, which is now controlled by the Lithuanian Ministry of Transport, has also announced that it has leased a 1992 Boeing 737-500 - its fourth Boeing - which it intends to use for regular European flights and summertime charters. Reuters reported that Mr Romualdas Gegzhnas, Commerical Director of LAL, declined to provide financial details of the deal for the 105 seater aircraft, saying only that the “terms of the contract were very favourable". LAL already operates one Boeing 737-300, two Boeing 737-200s, two SAAB-2000s and two SAAB -340Bs on its regular routes. The company also has three Yak-42s.

Article ID: 520