newstodate.aero
Sep 06, 2010 (newstodate): Estonian Air is seeing recovery in the Estonian air travel market and is quite upbeat about prospects for a solution soon to the issue of delivery of new aircraft.
-We are in talks with Bombardier and while I cannot of course reveal further details at this stage I am rather confident that we will be able to break news about this very soon now, says Andrus Aljas, Estonian Air CEO.
-We will start the winter program with a total of five Boeing 737 aircraft including three on long-term lease contracts and two on short-term contracts, plus our two SAAB 340 aircraft. This will suffice in operating our normal flight program, but of course need delivery of new regional jet aircraft to realize plans for expansion of the services provided, says Mr Aljas.
According to the original plan, Estonian Air was to take delivery of its new aircraft one by one in rotation: the first one by the end of May 2009, the second by the middle and third one by the end of June, 2009, but the delivery scheme was revised repeatedly and finally hinged on a solution to the ownership issue after it became clear that the SAS Group decided to divest itself of its stake in the carrier.
In the meantime the original order expired as unfulfilled and Estonian Air was forced to reopen negotiations for a new contract to be financed by itself, not the SAS Group.
-We are in talks with Bombardier and while I cannot of course reveal further details at this stage I am rather confident that we will be able to break news about this very soon now, says Andrus Aljas, Estonian Air CEO.
-We will start the winter program with a total of five Boeing 737 aircraft including three on long-term lease contracts and two on short-term contracts, plus our two SAAB 340 aircraft. This will suffice in operating our normal flight program, but of course need delivery of new regional jet aircraft to realize plans for expansion of the services provided, says Mr Aljas.
According to the original plan, Estonian Air was to take delivery of its new aircraft one by one in rotation: the first one by the end of May 2009, the second by the middle and third one by the end of June, 2009, but the delivery scheme was revised repeatedly and finally hinged on a solution to the ownership issue after it became clear that the SAS Group decided to divest itself of its stake in the carrier.
In the meantime the original order expired as unfulfilled and Estonian Air was forced to reopen negotiations for a new contract to be financed by itself, not the SAS Group.