LaudaMotion (Vienna) is negotiating a new order for narrowbodies with Airbus but is also talking to lessors who could ensure quicker deliveries for the expanding leisure carrier, Reuters has reported.
"Airbus is sold out until the end of 2020. But there are enough leasing firms," chairman and founder Niki Lauda has told journalists.
According to the ch-aviation fleets module, the Austrian carrier currently operates ten A320 Family aircraft, including five A320-200s and five A321-200s, although one unit of the latter type has not yet been released from pre-delivery maintenance at Sofia. LaudaMotion also wet-leases eight B737-800s from its equity partner Ryanair. In total, it plans to operate twenty units in Summer 2018, including ten Boeing narrowbodies wet-leased from the Irish LCC.
It is recalled that Niki Lauda said in May 2018 that the carrier would be talking about an order for nine A320 Family units, possibly including some A320neos. Subject to availability on the market, LaudaMotion would be looking to add the first units of the new batch already for Winter 2018/19 or at the beginning of 2019 in order to replace the B737-800s wet-leased from Ryanair.
LaudaMotion plans to boost its own fleet to thirty jets within two years.
LaudaMotion, an airline born after the takeover of Niki (Austria) by Niki Lauda, is coordinating its fleet strategy with Ryanair, which already holds a 24.9% stake in the Austrian carrier and is looking to increase it to 75%, pending the European Commission's approval.
