Avion Express A320-200, LY-MLJ (c/n 3877), soon after it arrived at Buenos Aires Ezeiza (EZE) on 21Nov24. Large "billboard" Flybondi titles have reportedly since been applied to the aircraft. (Photo: aviacionline.com, aviacionnews.com, https://avionesenargentina.com/)
Flybondi has a fleet of 15 737-800s, but 2-3 at a time have been out of service since the beginning of 2024, apparently due mostly to Argentine government restrictions on the carrier accessing the necessary hard currency (such as USD or Euros) to pay for maintenance and spare parts on the aircraft. This situation (along with the chronic overscheduling of equipment that the carrier is known for) has led Flybondi to cancel a large number of flights during the course of the year.
As a solution for this problem and to accommodate its growth plans, Flybondi wetleased two 737-800's from Spanish ACMI (Aircraft, Crew, Maintenance, Insurance) carrier AlbaStar for the southern hemisphere summer season from November 2024 through March 2025, with two more wetleased aircraft, A320ceo's belonging to Lithuanian-based Avion Express, LY-MLJ (c/n 3877) and LY-VEL (c/n 1998), recently arriving at Buenos Aires Ezeiza (EZE), also for the summer season.
Flybondi has two owned 737-800's that are currently undergoing maintenance, but expected to return to service in the near future. With these aircraft and the four it has operating under wetlease, the carrier is set to have 19 aircraft flying its southern hemisphere summer 2025 schedule.
LY-MLJ's journey to Argentina started on 18Nov24 when it departed Antalya (xxx) to Hannover (xxx), Keflavik (KEF), Montreal-Trudeau (YUL), Miami (MIA), and Trujillo (TRU), finally arriivng at EZE on 21Nov24. The aircraft was first delivered to Hungarian carrier Wizz Air as HA-LPU in 2009 where it flew until late 2021, eventually finding its way to Avion Express as LY-MLJ, since being leased to Eurowings and Sun Express before its current lease to Flybondi.
LY-VEL's travels to Argentina originated in Vilnius (VNO), thereafter replicating LY-MLJ's trip, stopping in Keflavik (KEF), Montreal-Trudeau (YUL), Miami (MIA), and Trujillo (TRU), arriivng at EZE on 23Nov24. Airbus delivered the aircraft to Spanair in 2003, thereafter flying for Livingston Air, before moving on to Avion Express in 2014 as LY-VEL and subsequently flying for many airlines, apparently always on an ACMI basis by Avion Express, including Vueling, Condor, WOW, Dominican Wings, Aruba Airlines, Thomas Cook UK, Sunrise Airways, Sundair, Norwegian Air Shuttle, Sun Express Deutschland, VietJetAir, Sun Express, and Wizzair before finally arriving to Argentina for Flybondi.
Both LY-MLJ and LY-VEL fly in an all-white scheme, but with large "billbaord" titles applied to their forward fuselages soon after arriving in Argentina.
Avion Express is owned by Avia Solutions, the world's largest ACMI (Aircraft, Crew, Maintenance, Insurance) provider, consisting of 17 airlines operating 221 aircraft with annual revenue of Euro 2 billion (thousand million). Avia Solutions was founded in 2010 in Vilnius, Lithuania, moving its headquarters to Dublin, Ireland in 2023. The company also provides many other aviation services, including MRO (Maintenance, Repair, Overhaul), business and corporate aviation, aircraft leasing and trading, and aviation consulting services.
Avion Express, based in Vilnius, Lithuania, has operated ACMI services for 38 past and present customers, with a current fleet of 50 aircraft in all, including 13 A320's.
Sources:
