MARUPE, LATVIA — The Latvian charter and cargo operator SmartLynx ordered four Airbus A321 jets for "Passenger to Freighter" conversion. The planes will be converted by the Dutch aerospace company APOC Aviation.
The A321s with manufacturer serial numbers MSN 941, 961, 1185, and 1241 will join the SmartLynx fleet early next year for the airline's cargo operations. APOC worked with SmartLynx to secure the airframes.
"We were quick to seize this versatile opportunity. Working closely with SmartLynx, the transaction has developed over the past two years, and I'd like to thank their professional team for their continued commitment and confidence. Despite the constraints of COVID-19, we are very pleased to expand the business relationship between our two Companies,"
said Jasper van den Boogaard, VP of Airframe Acquisition & Trading at APOC. The A321s are convenient airframes for cargo conversion and can be used for low-cost/long-haul operations because of their efficiency and range. Van den Boogaard says there is significant activity passenger to freighter conversion market right now.
"We are happy to cooperate with both the seller and APOC – the transaction was beneficial to all parties, for each in its own way. Acquiring four well-maintained sistership airframes was an important addition to the SmartLynx Airlines conversion chain, which begins with sourcing the right feedstock as a first step. Because of that, SmartLynx is becoming an active player in the secondary market of A321-200 airframes, as well as CFM56-5B and V2500 engine types. It is more than certain, that here developing solid relationships is the key,"
Zygimantas Surintas, Smartlynx Airlines CEO, said.
The four additional cargo aircraft will bring the SmartLynx's A321F fleet up to 15 units by mid-2023.
