Australian start-up Strategic Airlines, which has lease deals for Airbus aircraft, is in negotiations to buy an undisclosed Australian regional carrier and is also in discussions with regional aircraft-makers.
Strategic's executive director, Michael James, says it is working to buy an undisclosed Australian regional airline and hopes to conclude the deal in two weeks.
He also says Strategic has had preliminary discussions with regional aircraft-makers about acquiring a fleet of regional turboprop aircraft for the regional carrier.
James declines to say what size of aircraft it is examining but he says ideally he would like to buy rather than lease the regional aircraft.
The market is quite limited in terms newly manufactured aircraft, he says, adding that Saab has stopped manufacturing 30-seat aircraft and Bombardier is stopping manufacture of the 50-seat Bombardier Q300.
Source: Air Transport Intelligence news
