Avion Express Centers Its Growth Strategy Around Airbus A320-Family With Plans To Add NEOs

Avion Express has reiterated its commitment to the Airbus A320 aircraft family, including the previous and next-generation aircraft.

While the Lithuania-based aircraft, crew, maintenance, and insurance (ACMI) services provider so far has no A320neo family aircraft, it said that it has been looking for options to acquire second-hand aircraft equipped with next-generation engines.

Introducing an A321ceo

In a post on LinkedIn, Avion Express, the Lithuania-based ACMI provider, confirmed that it has welcomed an A321ceo into its fleet.

“Each new aircraft represents new heights and opportunities for our customers and with our ambition to grow as a Company, every addition brings us one step closer to achieving our goals.”

Ch-aviation data showed that the carrier has recently taken delivery of an A321ceo, registered as LY-NVH. The single-aisle jet was moved from Prague Vaclav Havel Airport (PRG) to Rijeka Airport (RJK) on October 25, Flightradar24 data showed.

Since then, the aircraft has remained on the ground at the Croatian airport. The Lithuanian company took ownership of the A321ceo on October 14, with the aircraft being originally ordered by British Mediterranean Airways.

Later, the A321ceo had stints with British Midland International and British Airways, when the latter’s parent company, International Airlines Group ( IAG), purchased the former in 2012, according to ch-aviation data.

However, the aircraft has been in storage for quite a while. Between October 2020 and August 2024, it was parked at Adolfo Suárez Madrid–Barajas Airport (MAD), then spent weeks and days at Ostrava Leoš Janáček Airport (OSR) and London Heathrow Airport (LHR), respectively, and finally returned to Madrid on August 30.

The A321ceo then moved to Prague on October 4 before being finally transferred to Rijeka, planespotters.net records showed.

Exploring A320neo options

The post also quoted Artūras Vegys, the vice president of fleet of Avion Express, who said that as part of the company’s long-term strategy, it was focused on expanding its A320 family aircraft fleet and was actively pursuing additional airframes.

“Looking ahead, Avion Express’s fleet strategy involves assessing potential [A320neos], and we are actively exploring suitable additions to our fleet.”

Vegys’ comments reiterated what Darius Kajokas, the chief executive officer (CEO) of Avion Express, has told Simple Flying. In an exclusive interview, the executive detailed that the airline has been negotiating preliminary agreements for potential A320neo variants.

“These are not fresh aircraft, […] but still

A320neos

with new-generation engines. As part of this, we are speaking to engine OEMs about what kind of solutions they could provide.”

According to the CEO, one of the solutions could be power-by-the-hour (PBH) agreements, with the airline ending up paying fees according to the number of flight hours (FH) it operates with the engines.

Kajokas estimated that for the A320neo to be profitable, the airline would have to utilize the aircraft for at least 4,000 FHs annually. It could add its first A320neos in 2025, according to the Avion Express executive.

Inactive A320neo and A321neos

Ch-aviation data also showed that 56 A320neo aircraft had no airline assigned to them. Five of the 56 should be delivered to three airlines: Estonia-based Marabu (ex-IndiGo A320neo, registered as VT-IVH), Cebu Pacific Air, and Turkish Airlines.

The latter two will take delivery of two ex-Go First A320neo aircraft each, with the airframes previously being registered as VT-WJX, VT-WJZ, VT-WJV, and VT-WJU.

Meanwhile, only two A321neo aircraft are available on the second-hand market. The two former Vietjet Air A321neos, formerly registered as VN-A626 and VN-A520, left the airline’s fleet on December 20, 2022.

They are currently stored at Ho Chi Minh Tan Son Nhat International Airport (SGN) and Alice Springs Airport (ASP), respectively.

At the same time, out of the 58 A320neo and A321neo aircraft that are not currently assigned to an airline, only one is equipped with the CFM International LEAP-1A engines, an ex-Bamboo Airways A320neo, previously registered as VN-A226. The aircraft is currently parked at Cornwall Airport Newquay (NQY).

PW1100G issues

As a result, getting the Pratt & Whitney PW1100G-powered A320neos back to an airworthy condition might be a complicated venture, considering that airlines have had to ground their aircraft equipped with the engines, also known as the Geared Turbofans (GTF), due to the accelerated removals and inspections following the discovery of contaminated metal in parts of the powerplant.

Christopher Calio, the president and CEO of RTX, the parent company of Pratt & Whitney, detailed during the company’s Q3 earnings call that the manufacturer has remained on track with its GTF fleet management plan.

At its maintenance facilities, engine throughput was improving, and the PW1100G output increased by 10% sequentially and 27% year-on-year (YoY), Calio added.

“The team is utilizing core practices to optimize the inspection sequence and implement concurrent assembly operations in our MRO facilities.”

Calio concluded that the company had reached support agreements with 28 of its customers, or about 75% of the impacted A320neo family aircraft fleet.