China's HNA Group will take delivery of two A350-900s originally destined for Azul Linhas Aéreas Brasileiras (AD, São Paulo Viracopos) as part of a 2014 leasing agreement with AerCap for five of the type.

The Brazilian LCC's president, Antonoaldo Neves, told Bloomberg news that the two aircraft were part of a trio that were to have been delivered in 2018. As it stands, Azul's Airbus (AIB, Toulouse Blagnac) widebody portfolio will see it adding two A350-900s next year with only a single due the year after.

The move is part of a new series of capacity cuts Azul is planning following last year's reductions. Thus far, twenty aircraft have been removed from Azul's service including one A330-200, six ATR72-600s, and eleven E190s being placed with sister carrier TAP Portugal (Lisbon) while three other aircraft have been returned to their lessors.

At present, Azul's active fleet stands at 130 aircraft in total including four A330-200s, fifty ATR72-600s, fifteen EMB-190s, and sixty-six E195s. The carrier is still on track to take delivery of its first of thirty-five A320neo on order from Airbus (AIB, Toulouse Blagnac) later this year.