Hi Fly Sees Strong Demand As Carriers Seek Capacity Amid Engine Problems

ISTANBUL–Portuguese wet-lease operator Hi Fly is experiencing strong demand for its aircraft as many airlines look for extra capacity because of engine shortage issues.

“We see much more demand for extra capacity on the airline side,” Hi Fly strategy and business development executive Diogo Antunes told Aviation Daily on the sidelines of the IATA AGM in Istanbul. 

Airlines are being affected by Pratt & Whitney engine shortages and delays in maintenance, impacting Airbus A320neo family and A220 operators in particular. 

That engine shortage also cuts both ways. “On the other side of the coin we are also looking to add aircraft,” he noted. 

“Our focus is the Airbus A330 aircraft—the A330ceo in this case. We still operate a couple of A340-300s, but we are now starting to replace them with A330ceos. Obviously airlines need the capacity so they need to turn to the ceo.”

The Lisbon-based operator used to operate A330neos but now sticks to A330ceos.

“For our operation it’s good to have an aircraft that doesn’t have any problems,” Antunes said.

Hi Fly did operate one Airbus A380 but it left the fleet in 2020 after the operator found that the business case no longer made sense, given factors including the end of A380 production and the COVID-19 pandemic, Antunes said.  

Hi Fly’s current fleet is “fluid,” with aircraft regularly being phased in and out, but numbers around the “high10s,” Antunes said. 

“Last summer was good, this summer we are fully booked,” he said. “If I was able to have more aircraft I would have the contracts.” 

Hi Fly owns its Airbus A340s and one A330, while the rest of the fleet is leased.

The operator is “always” talking to lessors about more contracts, Antunes said.