Finnair (AY, Helsinki Vantaa) is preparing to place an order for as many as twenty to thirty narrowbody aircraft for long-term fleet replacement, although the announcement is not to be expected this year, Air Transport World has reported.
Finnair will commence initial analysis "sometime this year", but actual negotiations with manufacturers will only start once the airline finalises specifications, the carrier's CEO Pekka Vauramo has told Air Transport World. The talks can begin towards the end of 2018.
The Finnish flag carrier would need around twenty aircraft for replacements alone, with more potentially coming to support the carrier's growth plans beyond 2023.
According to the ch-aviation fleets module, Finnair's current narrowbody fleet consists of eight A319-100s (with an average age of 16.9 years), ten A320s (15.6 years), and eighteen A321s (7.1 years). In total, twenty-four of the carrier's Airbus jets, or two-thirds of all, are older than ten years. Finnair is expected to take delivery of only one new aircraft from this market segment in 2018, an A321.
