Maldivian to replace sole A321 with A320neo aircraft
Maldivian said that the A321 lease, which expires on 19 March 2023, will not be renewed upon expiry.
By
Ahmed Naaif
Maldivian has announced plans to lease a new aircraft after returning its sole Airbus-A321, the largest aircraft in the flag carrier's fleet.
Maldivian leased a 200-seater Airbus-A321 on 20 January 2015.
The aircraft was mainly used for flights to China. However, Maldivian has suspended flights to China due to the ban on tourist arrivals from China.
Aishath Jeniffer, Deputy Managing Director of Island Aviation Services (IAS) which operates Maldivian, told Atoll Times:
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The A321 aircraft was leased for eight years
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The lease, which expires on 19 March 2023, will not be renewed upon expiry
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The decision was made because the aircraft cannot be used for some direct long-haul flights
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Since it was an old model, maintenance costs were high
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There is no need to keep the aircraft in the fleet as China operations are still on hold
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Efforts are underway to bring a modern aircraft to serve long-haul destinations
"Even if the aircraft is sent, it will not disrupt the flights to any of our destinations. We have enough aircraft in our fleet to serve our existing destinations for the time being," Jeniffer said.
Maldivian's fleet:
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1 Airbus 321 (to be returned)
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1 Airbus 320
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8 Dash 8-300
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2 Dash 8-200
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11 DHC-6 Twin Otter seaplanes
Maldivian plans to lease an A321LR aircraft, A320neo's long-range variant, soon after returning the Airbus A-321.
"Now the aircraft [A-321] cannot actually travel directly to China either. It has to have a transit stop. Our idea is for a long range aircraft that can travel directly on long haul flights," Jeniffer said.
"We have observed that Neo series is the best long range aircraft at the moment. It is the most popular aircraft in the region as well."
Jeniffer said the new aircraft lease had been decided based on findings of Maldivian's research to operate long-haul flights. She said the airline had been exploring destinations in Europe and Russia.
"Our goal is to use the new aircraft for the new routes. Maldivians will be able to travel to Europe and Russia on Maldivian flights," she said.
Meanwhile, Maldivian had in January signed an agreement to lease three ATR aircraft to replace its ageing Dash fleet.
