Ariana Afghan Airlines (FG, Kabul) has issued a Request for Proposals to wet-lease in one widebody aircraft for three months with a focus on Hajj services to Saudi Arabia, albeit supplemented by other routes.
The Afghan flag carrier will accept bids for a wide range of types, including A330s, A340s, B767-400s, B747s, and B777s. Depending on the type, it should seat 300 to 500 passengers with a minimum flying guarantee of 600 to 1000 hours during the lease period (with larger aircraft flying fewer hours). The requirements are calculated so that the aircraft can carry at least 30,000 pilgrims to Saudi Arabia during the Muslim holy period. Ariana plans to deploy the aircraft out of Kabul to Jeddah International, Madrid Barajas, and Riyadh, as well as to Istanbul, Ankara Esenboga, and Moscow Sheremetyevo.
Bids are due by March 27, 2023, with delivery expected as soon as possible. Ariana requires the wet lessor to deliver the aircraft between three and 14 days before the first flight. The operator should be able to provide a backup aircraft within 48 hours in case of a maintenance issue. On top of the cockpit and cabin crew, the lessor must also provide a mechanic and an engineer to service the aircraft during its operations out of Kabul.
The ch-aviation fleets module shows that Ariana's in-house fleet currently comprises one A310-300, two B737-400s, and one inactive B737-500. The airline continues to pursue the acquisition of two B737-800s, although its previous tender was not successful.
