sky

Czech Airlines is to add its first Airbus A220s next year, after agreeing to take four of the jets from lessor Air Lease. The commitment comes after a previous order with Airbus for the same number of jets was scrubbed a few months after Czech Airlines entered an insolvency process in 2021. Air Lease says all four aircraft are scheduled for delivery to the carrier in 2024 and will be sourced from the lessor’s A220 orders with Airbus. Czech Airlines chair Petr Kudela says: “These Air Lease A220s will greatly enhance our airline’s operational strength as we modernize our fleet with highly efficient and environmentally friendly single-aisle aircraft. Thanks to a brand-new cabin configuration, the aircraft offers best in class comfort for short- and medium-haul flights. I am, therefore, convinced that this step will be appreciated particularly by our customers.” The Czech carrier had originally ordered four A220-300s alongside three A321XLRs in 2019, after converting an previous commitment for seven A320s. However that order was removed from the airframer’s backlog in August 2021. That came after Czech Airlines file for insolvency in 2021, as part of which Airbus lodged creditor claims against the airline in relation to payments for these aircraft. Czech Airlines, which is part of the Smartwings group, operates A320 aircraft.<br/>

China Southern Airlines is set to undertake two share issuances, which will see it raise funds for new aircraft, as well as its working capital. The airline, China’s largest domestic operator, is set to issue fresh shares – worth around CNY17.5b ($2.46b) – to “not more than” 35 specific investors, which includes parent company China Southern Airlines Holdings. Proceeds from this fundraising will go towards funding new aircraft purchases and its working capital. China Southern says it has not identified the other specific investors for the share issuance. Separately, the airline will issue about HK$2.9b ($370m) in shares to wholly-owned investment subsidiary Nan Lung. Funds will go towards the working capital of the carrier. In explaining why it was undertaking the fundraising exercise, Guangzhou-based China Southern says the additional capital will “be able to expand the scale of the company’s fleet, optimise the age structure of the aircraft, enhance the level of aviation capacity, and lay the foundation for increasing the frequency density of existing flight routes and opening new flight routes.” The carrier says the fresh capital will also help “alleviate the pressure brought by the capital demand from the daily operation of the company”. In the quarter ended 31 March, China Southern - alongside its state-owned compatriots Air China and China Eastern - were in the red, though they were able to slash their losses as domestic restrictions eased significantly. <br/>