Bangkok Airways to add three more A320 family aircraft in 2014
Bangkok Airways executives told CAPA the carrier is planning to further expand the A319 fleet in 2015. The carrier is negotiating leases on three additional A320 family aircraft for 2015 – a mix of A319s and A320s.
All of Bangkok Airways’ A320 family aircraft are currently leased, according to the CAPA Fleet Database. Bangkok Airways for now continues to rely on leasing companies and stick with second hand aircraft. While it has previously leased new aircraft all of its additions in recent years have been used aircraft.
Bangkok Airways’ A320 family fleet currently has an average age of about eight years. Its A320s are all between eight and 11 years old while its A319s between six and nine years old, according to the CAPA Fleet Database.
Bangkok Airways is seeking to reduce the age of its fleet over the medium to long term. The ATR 72-600 acquisition will reduce the average age of its turboprop fleet from 11 years currently to less than two years in 2017.
Bangkok Airways also is now negotiating with Airbus a potential order for new-generation A320neo family aircraft. A319neos and A320neos are expected to be acquired to replace current generation A319/A320ceos as well as to support continued growth.
The company expects to use most of the THB13 billion (USD400 million) of proceeds from its recent IPO, which was completed at the beginning of Nov-2014, to fund the acquisition of new turboprop and jet aircraft.