China Aircraft Leasing (CALC) has purchased an Airbus A320 aircraft with CFM56-5B4/3 engines from GECAS.

The 2012-vintage aircraft (MSN 5252) has been operated by Air Berlin since new. It will be placed on lease to Chengdu Airlines from November onwards.

The transaction follows the acquisition of a new A320 from Austrian carrier Niki for forward lease to Chengdu Airlines in February 2012. The aircraft is on lease to the Chinese carrier for 12 years.

The transaction marks the sixth time that CALC places an A320 with Chengdu. In 2011 Chengdu agreed to lease four A320 aircraft from CALC. The 2005/06-vintage aircraft were previously operated by Air Berlin.

According to Flightglobal's Ascend Online database, Chengdu Airlines has two A319s on lease from China World Aviation Leasing and one from GECAS.

Its eight A320 aircraft fleet includes six aircraft from CALC and two from GECAS.

Source: FlightGlobal.com