Bhutan Airlines (Tashi Air Pvt. Ltd) signed aircraft lease agreement for two Airbus A319 aircrafts (2010 vintage) with AerCap on September 28 in Thimphu.

AerCap is a global leader in aircraft leasing and aviation finance with its headquarters in Dublin. AerCap serves about 200 customers in about 80 countries. AerCap owns and manages about 1,539 aircrafts.

According to the lease agreement, AerCap will deliver two 2010 model Airbus A319 to Bhutan Airlines between June and July 2018.

Chief Executive Officer of Bhutan Airlines, Phala Dorji, said that the current fleet would be replaced by the two new aircrafts from AerCap. “The replacement is worked out because the current fleet will complete four-year lease deal by July 2018.”

Bhutan Airlines leased the current aircrafts from Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corporation (SMBC) Aviation Capital in 2014.

“The one we are leasing now is of the same type that we are operating at the moment,” Phala Dorji said.

The two new A319 aircrafts will have a capacity of 120 passengers with a configuration of 12 business class and 108 economy class.

Senior vice president of AerCap, Peter Anderson, said that the A319 aircrafts upon delivery to Bhutan Airlines would be eight years old. “The young aircrafts are from a very reputable carrier in United States, so the maintenance of the aircraft is being looked after very well.”

He said that the two aircrafts have been flying around in United States for the last eight years with Frontier Airlines.

“Bhutan airlines have a very good and highly experienced and dedicated professional maintenance engineers. For Bhutan Airlines, safety is top priority,” said Phala Dorji.

Karma Cheki