Aserca Airlines has begun its fleet renewal programme with the delivery of a new Boeing MD-90 and is now finalising plans for additional aircraft.
The Venezuelan airline has taken the aircraft on lease from Taiwanese leasing company Hwa-Hsia Leasing, via Caribbean airline Air Aruba, which has also just introduced the type.
The MD-90 joins Aserca's 11 McDonnell Douglas DC-9-30s which are used on domestic and Caribbean services.
Executive vice-president Dr Julian Villalbra says that the MD-90 lease comes as part of a fleet renewal and expansion programme, which could see the carrier acquiring additional MD-90s from the used market. Villalbra says plans are being finalised to add two Boeing 737-800s on lease from next April, and talks are under way with Boeing on the acquisition of up to 15 717s to replace its DC-9s.
Meanwhile, Air Aruba chief executive Simeon Garcia says the airline is undertaking its own fleet renewal programme which will see its entire fleet replaced between now and 2003. "We've chosen Boeing," he adds. Three new MD-90s have just been delivered to Air Aruba, on lease from Hwa-Hsia Leasing (one of which is subleased to Aserca). Garcia says that the airline is looking to take at least two more examples, probably from the used market.
The airline, which operates two Boeing 727s, two Boeing MD-80s and a DC-9, is also evaluating the 737-800.
Source: Flight International
