airBaltic (BT, Riga) has announced it has wet-leased a B737-900ER from Ukraine International Airlines (PS, Kyiv Boryspil) under a short-term agreement.
UR-PSL (msn 36087) was ferried from Chisinau International to Riga on April 27, 2022, and began operating for airBaltic on May 1, Flightradar24 ADS-B data shows. The Latvian carrier has so far deployed it to Palma de Mallorca and Berlin Brandenburg International but has yet to file schedules.
"Ukraine International Airlines has been a reliable long-term partner of airBaltic. It is now a very challenging time for the Ukrainian people and their national airline. By temporarily wet-leasing their aircraft, we are also providing short term work to the employees of Ukraine International Airlines," Chief Executive Martin Gauss said.
The Ukrainian carrier has been unable to operate to and from Ukraine since the closure of the country's airspace due to the Russian invasion. It operates a limited number of charters from Chisinau and Rzeszow Jasionka and has proffered all of its aircraft parked outside Ukraine for ACMI placements.
"We would like to thank our very good partner and friend, airBaltic for selecting Ukraine International Airlines as a capacity provider on an ACMI basis for its network. Especially now, when UIA temporarily cannot operate flights to and from Ukraine, such an act of international aviation cooperation is very symbolic and important," UIA Vice-President (Commerce) Sergey Fomenko said.
The Ukrainian carrier's fleet entails twelve B737-800s, four B737-900(ER)s (three available), four B767-300ERs, one B777-200ER, five E190s, and two E195s. Nine B737-800s, three -900(ER)s, and an E190 and an E195 are parked outside Ukraine, the ch-aviation fleets module shows.
Alongside the wet-leased B737, airBaltic's fleet comprises thirty-four A220-300s. It has so far wet leased out six units, three each to SAS Scandinavian Airlines and Eurowings, and will shortly increase the scope of its ACMI business with a further two A220s wet leased to Eurowings and two to sister carrier EW Discover.
