Flight International Online news 09:30GMT: Macau start-up VIVA Macau aims to complete next month a deal for as many as 12 Airbus A350s or Boeing 787s and also finalise leases on three Airbus A330s or Boeing 767s.
VIVA Macau chief executive Andrew Pyne say the airline is talking to Airbus and Boeing about ordering either 12 A350s or Boeing 787s for delivery from 2012 and 2011 respectively.
“We are almost to the wire [on a selection] and are working out how to structure the deal and we would expect to make an announcement in the first part of January 2006,” says Pyne.
At the same time it also expects to announce a deal for three dry-leased aircraft, two of which it will be used to launch operations in June 2006.
Pyne says VIVA Macau is choosing between leased Boeing 767s and Airbus A330s and “if we go the Boeing route then we would probably be leasing from Boeing Capital and if we go the Airbus route then we would be leasing from third party lessors”.
He also says VIVA Macau plans to supplement its fleet with some aircraft on short term wet-leases and that these aircraft might be a different type to the dry-leased aircraft.
VIVA Macau, which was formerly known as WOW Macau, will be positioned primarily as a leisure carrier operating from the former Portuguese enclave to destinations in Asia, the Middle East, Europe and North America. It has no plans to operate to mainland China or Taiwan.
LEITHEN FRANCIS / SINGAPORE
Source: Flight International
