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| Founded | 1992 (asLatCharter) | ||||||
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| Commenced operations | 1993 | ||||||
| Operating bases | Bangkok* | ||||||
| Subsidiaries |
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| Fleet size | 57 | ||||||
| Destinations | 82 | ||||||
| Parent company | Avia Solutions Group | ||||||
| Headquarters | Mazrūdas,Mārupes novads, Latvia | ||||||
| Key people | Edvinas Demenius (CEO)[1] | ||||||
| Employees | 400+ | ||||||
| Website | smartlynx | ||||||
SmartLynx Airlines Limited, previouslyLatCharter, is aLatvia-basedACMI,charter andcargoairline based inMārupe,[2] operating flights on wet lease out (ACMI), holiday charter flights, ad-hoc passenger charter and cargo flights acrossEurope,Africa,Asia,Australia,Canada and theUnited States.[2]
The privately owned company started operations in 1993 with a leasedTupolev Tu-134B.[3][4] In 2001, the Tupolev fleet was replaced with the largerYakovlev Yak-42 and in 2003, firstAirbus A320-200 was inducted into the service on behalf of the airline.[3]
In 2006,Loftleiðir, theaircraft lease arm ofIcelandair Group, acquired a majority 55% shareholding in the LatCharter stock, and eventually the whole company.[5][6]
In 2007, the airline expanded its fleet by adding five moreA320-200s and two767-300s.[7] The aircraft werewet-leased to different airlines around the world. Since then, the ACMI market has been the company's primary focus, having operated for numerous carriers such asAir Malta,[8]SBA Airlines,[9]Finnair,[10]Condor.[11] In 2008, the company was renamed SmartLynx Airlines.[12]
In 2012, the airline was bought from Icelandair in a managementbuy-out[13] also forming a single aircraft subsidiarySmartlynx Airlines Estonia to serve Estonian tour operators.[14] In 2014, SmartLynx transitioned into a paperless cockpit environment by using the Jeppesen FliteDeck Pro app as its electronic flight bag (EFB).[15]
In 2016, the company was bought by a Netherlands-based investment fund.[16]
In June 2016, Zygimantas Surintas was appointed as the company's CEO.[17]
In 2019, the airline established a subsidiary in Malta (SmartLynx Malta).[18] SmartLynx Airlines also became a part ofAvia Solutions Group in 2019.[19]
In 2020, the airline expanded into air cargo transportation.[20] In February 2021, SmartLynx andDHL signed a partnership agreement.[21] The partnership included two of SmartLynx MaltaA321-200s transporting freight and goods on behalf of theDeutsche Post subsidiary.[22]
In October 2021, SmartLynx announced the establishment of an in-house line maintenance centre, SmartLynx Technik.[23] SmartLynx also leased severalAirbus A320 aircraft to Nigerian airlineAir Peace in November 2021.[24] In December 2021, the airlines announced plans to open a new office inVilnius, Lithuania.[25]
In February 2022, SmartLynx Airlines signed an agreement withSMBC Aviation Capital to lease the first twoBoeing 737 MAX 8 aircraft.[26][27] In March 2022, SmartLynx announced the introduction of firstAirbus A330-300 freighters to its fleet after signing an agreement with Air Transport Services Group.[28][29]
SmartLynx also formed partnerships with airlines such as British airlineEasyJet, leasing several aircraft to EasyJet in June 2022.[30] In October 2022, SmartLynx also announced it was adding four Airbus A321F freighters to its fleet, with plans to have 20 A321F aircraft by the end of 2023.[31] The four new aircraft were acquired through a freighter conversion programme in partnership with Aero Capital Solutions.[32]
In 2022, SmartLynx Airlines celebrated its 30th anniversary.[20]
SmartLynx Training Centre is an approved training organization (ATO) in the Baltic States, providing type rating courses forAirbus A320 family and Boeing 737 MAX 8 aircraft.[33]
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As of February 2025[update], the SmartLynx Airlines fleet - including all subsidiaries - consists of the following aircraft:[34][35]
| Aircraft | In service | Passengers | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Airbus A320-200 | 26 | 180 | 11 operated by SmartLynx Airlines Ltd. 8 operated bySmartLynx Airlines Estonia. 7 operated by SmartLynx Airlines Malta.[36] |
| Airbus A321-200 | 8 | 220 | 5 operated by SmartLynx Airlines Ltd. 3 operated by SmartLynx Airlines Malta.[36] |
| Airbus A321-200P2F | 10 | Cargo | 1 operated by SmartLynx Airlines Ltd. 9 operated by SmartLynx Airlines Malta.[36] |
| Airbus A330-300 | 1 | 436 | Operated by SmartLynx Airlines Malta.[36] |
| Boeing 737 MAX 8 | 12 | 189 | Operated by SmartLynx Airlines Malta 9H-CHA is a FormerGaruda Indonesia Aircraft Registerd PK-DGA.[36] |
| Total | 57 | ||
Media related toSmartLynx Airlines at Wikimedia Commons
