Johannesburg-based Skywise Airlines is in "expansion mode" and is planning to acquire seven to eight Boeing 737-800s to its fleet over the next three to four years, co-chairperson Tabassum Qadir discloses.
Speaking to Flightglobal at the World Routes conference in Durban, Qadir says the plan is to add two Boeing 737-800s this year and “one or two” per year. Qadir says the South African carrier currently has one owned 737-400 and one on wet-lease.
“Some of them will be leased, some of them will be owned,” Qadir says, adding that it "really depends, we come from a business background so we have to see what kind of numbers work for us.”
The airline executive says the 737-800s are being acquired as an interim solution and Skywise “would ideally go for” the 737 Max but notes that these are not available before 2019. “If we order [them] now the only lot we will get in 2019 and [20]20 and you can’t cope with the old fleet until that time,” she adds.
Qadir discloses that Skywise is “currently negotiating with Boeing” for the purchase of the Max.
Source: Cirium Dashboard
