Gnter Endres/LONDON
MONARCH AIRLINES is on the verge of taking over the contentious wet-leased Boeing 767-300ER operation, now provided by Ansett Worldwide Aviation Services on behalf of Alitalia.
The new deal is an extension of a long-standing agreement between Monarch and Ansett, under which the UK airline will manage and operate the aircraft on its own Air Operators' Certificate. Monarch is already providing maintenance for the two aircraft, which have been flying several of the Italian flag carriers' transatlantic services from Rome and Milan since February.
The two aircraft, plus two more, are expected to join the UK register in late July, and will be flown with UK crews, according to Monarch's operations director, Captain Mike Poole. Another four will be added by early in 1996. The operator change meets a European Commission directive stipulating that wet-lease of aircraft and crew from outside the European Union will only be granted on a temporary or extraordinary basis.
The aircraft are being used in a bid by loss-making Alitalia to restructure its intercontinental network with more suitable aircraft, at a time when its own crew are not qualified for ETOPS operations. The wet-lease serves as a bridge until its own crew are qualified, and towards the introduction of bigger twins in its longer-term fleet plan, says Michael Harrington, Alitalia's senior vice-president, network and fleet development.
Alitalia, which has run into difficulties with its pilot and cabin crew unions over the scheme, is planning to extend the services between Rome/Milan and Boston, Chicago, New York, Newark and Miami.
Source: Flight International
