Baltic corporate charter specialist KlasJet is expanding its fleet of Boeing 737s to underpin passenger wet-lease operations ahead of the summer season.
It is introducing eight 737-800s which will be configured with 186 to 189 seats, in an all-economy layout.
Vilnius-based KlasJet is aiming to reach a fleet of 15 -800s by the end of this year and expand its passenger wet-lease fleet to 35 within five years.
“We see a very strong need for [wet-lease] in the market right now and it’s only expected to grow,” says KlasJet deputy chief Lukas Petrauskas.
The airline has pointed out that lower supply of Boeing jets this year could constrain capacity for carriers expecting deliveries for the peak season.
KlasJet states that carriers can mitigate the issue through wet-lease agreements.
“Aircraft manufacturers are dealing with backlogs and the situation is made more complicated by a number of overbooked [maintenance] slots,” claims Petrauskas.
The company, part of Avia Solutions Group, already has several older-variant 737s – a mix of -300s and -500s – which are configured with low-density seating.
It recently disclosed that it was reinforcing its business charter fleet with a 23-seat Boeing BBJ2 from April this year, which would be stationed in Dubai.
