The CEO of the International Airlines Group (IAG), Willie Walsh, says the firm is looking at leasing second-hand widebody jets to satiate growing demand in the longhaul market.
Speaking at the Airline Economics conference in Dublin this week, Walsh said the IAG was warming to the idea of operating used A380-800s as well as B777-300(ER)s. Though IAG unit British Airways (BA, London Heathrow) has outstanding options for seven A380s, Walsh said firming them would be “too expensive”.
“We see second-hand A380s as an attractive opportunity,” he was quoted by Bloomberg news. “I don’t mind where the aircraft come from. What we’ve said is we’re interested and therefore if there are aircraft available, don’t be afraid to talk to us. We’ve already had some discussions with potential lessors."
In terms of numbers, the CEO said five or six used A380s could be placed with British Airways while an undisclosed number could also head to IAG's Spanish unit, Iberia (IB, Madrid Barajas). The leased aircraft would be equipped with Rolls Royce engines as per British Airways' current A380 fleet spec. Though buying the jets is an option, Walsh said the IAG was now looking at operating a greater number of leased aircraft across its fleet than before.
Asked about timeframes, Walsh said he was in no immediate hurry to source the aircraft as plunging oil prices had eased the economics of British Airways' ageing B747-400 fleet for the moment.
British Airways currently operates forty B747-400s, eleven B767-300(ER)s, forty-six B777-200(ER)s, eight B787-8s, five B787-9s, ten A380-800s (with two more due this year), and twelve B777-300(ER)s. For its part, Iberia's widebody fleet consists of seventeen A340-600s, seven A340-300s, eight A330-300s, and one A330-200.
