SmartLynx Airlines
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| Founded | 1992 (as LatCharter) | ||||||
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| Commenced operations | 1993 | ||||||
| Operating bases | |||||||
| Subsidiaries | Smartlynx Airlines Estonia | ||||||
| Fleet size | 13 | ||||||
| Headquarters | Mazrudas, Marupe municipality, Latvia | ||||||
| Key people |
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| Website | smartlynx.aero | ||||||
SmartLynx Airlines, previously LatCharter, is a charter airline based in Mārupe, Mārupe municipality, Latvia,[1] operating flights on wet lease out (ACMI), holiday charter flights, and ad hoc passenger charter flights across Europe, Africa and Asia.[1] It also performs flight crew trainings – SmartLynx ATO is a leading approved airline pilot training company in the Baltic States providing type rating courses for Airbus A320 series. In 2017 SmartLynx Airlines celebrates its 25th anniversary.
SmartLynx flight crew members represent more than 17 nationalities, therefore speaking multiple languages. The average experience of captains is above 5300 block hours and first officers — above 1900 block hours.
Based on the aggregated financial data for 2015, with a net turnover of EUR 84.5 million which is a 9.3% increase over 2014, Latvian charter airline SmartLynx Airlines is the second among passenger air carriers and third among all passenger carriers in Latvia.
Overall, the number of passengers transported by SmartLynx is rapidly increasing with every year — in 2015 it reached 1.6 million, and in 2016 – 1.9 million. SmartLynx flight precision (On Time Performance) is constantly improving — in summer of 2016 this indicator reached 89% for all charter flights. Company is rapidly growing, and in 2016 its turnover increased by 18%, reaching 108.4 million EUR.
History
The privately owned company was established in 1992 by four professional pilots and one flight engineer as LatCharter (the name derived from Latvia) and started operations in 1993 with a leased Tupolev Tu-134B aircraft.[2][3][4][5] The Tupolev fleet was replaced with the larger Yakovlev Yak-42[6][7] in April 2001, and then Airbus A320-200 by December 2003.[5]
In July 2006 Loftleiðir, the aircraft lease arm of Icelandair Group, acquired a majority 55% shareholding in the LatCharter stock, and eventually the whole company.[8] The airline expanded its fleet by adding five more A320-200 and two B767-300 aircraft in 2007.[9] The aircraft were wet-leased to different airlines around the world. Since then, the ACMI market has been company’s primary focus, having operated for numerous carriers such as Air Malta,[10] SBA Airlines,[11] Finnair,[12] Condor Flugdienst.[13]
In 2008, commemorating the airline's 15th anniversary, it was renamed SmartLynx Airlines, and new logo and livery were introduced.[14]
In 2012 the airline was bought from Icelandair in a management buy-out and is now a completely separate entity.[15] In 2012 the airline also formed a subsidiary Smartlynx Airlines Estonia with one Airbus A320-200 to serve the Estonian tour operators.[16][17][18]
In 2016 a Netherlands-based investment fund became the owner of the company. New logo was introduced.
Fleet
The SmartLynx Airlines fleet consists of the following aircraft as of March 2017:[19]
| Aircraft | In Service | Orders | Passengers | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Airbus A320-200 | 8 | — | 180 | 2 leased to Thomas Cook Airlines, 1 leased to Monarch Airlines, 1 leased to Travel Service |
| Airbus A321-200 | 1 | — | 220 | Leased to Thomas Cook Airlines |
| Total | 9 | — | ||
References
- ^ a b "About SmartLynx Airlines." About SmartLynx Airlines. Retrieved on 24 January 2014. "Address Mazrūdas, Mārupes novads, LV-2167."
- ^ "YL-LBF on Airliners.net"
- ^ "YL-LBG on Airliners.net"
- ^ "YL-LBH on Airliners.net"
- ^ a b "History SmartLynx Airlines" History of SmartLynx Airlines. Retrieved on 24 January 2014."
- ^ "YL-LBT on Airliners.net"
- ^ "YL-LBU on Airliners.net"
- ^ "Loftleidir Icelandic acquires a minority stake in LatCharter Airlines". Alacra. Retrieved 2009-11-26.
Loftleidir Icelandic of Iceland (LI), a unit of FL Group, planned to acquire the remaining ... stake, which it did not already own, in LatCharter Airlines (LC), a Riga-based provider of charter flights services. Concurrently, LI acquired a…
- ^ "LatCharter Airlines". Icelandair Group. Retrieved 2014-01-24.
total of nine aircraft, including two 767-300 aircraft.
- ^ "Air Malta News Update". Ch-aviation. Retrieved 2014-01-24.
- ^ "SBA Airlines News Update". Ch-aviation. Retrieved 2014-01-24.
- ^ "Finnair will use A320-200 wet-leased from SmartLynx in September/October". Ch-aviation. Retrieved 2014-01-24.
- ^ "Latvia's SmartLynx wet-leasing A320s to Corendon and Condor". Ch-aviation. Retrieved 2014-01-24.
- ^ "A Leap Forward – LatCharter Becomes SmartLynx." Retrieved on 24 January 2014."
- ^ SmartLynx Airlines separates from Icelandair Group.
- ^ SmartLynx Airlines Estonia.
- ^ "SmartLynx establishes Estonian subsidiary for Tallinn charter flights". Ch-aviation. Retrieved 2014-01-24.
- ^ "ES-SAL on Airliners.net"
- ^ http://www.smartlynx.aero/corporate/fleet
External links
Media related to SmartLynx Airlines at Wikimedia Commons