Andrew Doyle/COLOGNE
British Midland Commuter was due to start flying services for Lufthansa CityLine on 1 February as part of a deal that will see the UK carrier take over the bulk of the routes from Munich operated by bankrupt Debonair.
The wet-lease deal, which was close to being finalised as Flight International closed for press, calls for Commuter to operate five Munich-based British Aerospace 146s on about 14 European routes from the southern German city.
CityLine chief executive Karl-Heinz Köpfle says that, following the introduction of the first aircraft on 1 February, another pair will enter service on 25 March for the summer timetable, with the fourth and fifth arriving during the following weeks.
Commuter is taking over two ex-Debonair 146s - one of which had been based in Munich - while the remaining three are understood to have been sourced elsewhere.
Köpfle says the agreement will cover two years initially, but includes extension clauses. CityLine needs the wet-leased aircraft to cover its own capacity shortfall, which will not be relieved until it begins to take delivery next year of 10 Bombardier Canadair Regional Jet Series 700s.
The first of 60 Fairchild Aerospace 728JETs on firm order is due to be handed over in 2002.
The collapse of Debonair late last year forced CityLine to cancel dozens of flights until it managed to bring in alternative aircraft on short-term leases.
Meanwhile, CityLine has become the first airline to achieve certification in accordance with the European Union's voluntary environmental audit guidelines. "The fact that we now assess the environmental impact of our business allows us to evaluate the effects and systematically take advantage of opportunities for improvement," says Köpfle.
Source: Flight International
