Eastern Air Lines (2009) (Miami International) is in talks with undisclosed lessors to secure ten narrowbody aircraft ahead of its planned launch as a charter operator later this year.

“In the charter division, we would need up to 10 planes,” Chief Executive Officer Ed Wegel told Bloomberg newswire in an interview. Lessors “are the only ones who have used planes, and Boeing (BOE, Washington National) and Airbus (AIB, Toulouse Blagnac) know where all the used aircraft are.”

A decision is due in the coming 4 to 6 weeks, he added.

"Eastern intends to begin passenger charter operations with a single, leased Airbus A320 aircraft and increase its fleet to three such aircraft within the first year. Such aircraft are readily available for lease, and Eastern has received proposals for delivery as early as summer 2014 in accordance with its certification timeline," the carrier's application to the US Department of Transportation reads.

Wegel also denied Eastern had committed to an order with COMAC (Shanghai Pudong) for its C919 airliners stating that a 2012 “statement of interest” did not amount to an order for the type.

“That wasn’t an order for airplanes by any means,” Wegel said, adding that Eastern was interested in new engine technology planned for the C919.