Hi Fly Malta takes maiden A330-300

US’s GLOBALX targets pan American cargo ops growth

Portugal's Hi Fly transfers only A330-200 to Maltese AOC

Hi Fly (5K, Beja) has transferred its only A330-200 to Hi Fly Malta (HFM, Malta Int'l), ch-aviation research has revealed.

CS-TQP (msn 211) was re-registered as 9H-TQP on January 7 and operated a test flight around Beja under its new registration on January 8, 2022, Flightradar24 ADS-B data shows. It has yet, however, to begin operating revenue flights under the Maltese AOC.

The A330's transfer follows the recent re-registration of Hi Fly's last A340-300 in Malta and further reduces the Portuguese carrier's already diminished fleet. While before the COVID-19 pandemic, Hi Fly tended to have a roughly balanced number of aircraft registered on both of its AOCs, currently, the distribution is heavily skewed towards the Maltese unit, which now operates one A319-100, one A321-200, the A330-200, three A330-300s, one A330-900, and six A340-300s. In turn, its Portuguese sister carrier operates just one A321 and one A330-900, the ch-aviation fleets advanced module shows.

Hi Fly did not respond to ch-aviation's inquiry as to whether it...

US's GLOBALX to add first A319 in 1Q22

GLOBALX (GXA, Miami Int'l) has announced in an investor update that it has signed a Letter of Intent for a single A319-100 due for delivery by mid-February 2022. The A319 will be 9H-TLS (msn 2662), an ex-Hi Fly Malta aircraft, the carrier confirmed in a follow-up briefing.

Currently, GLOBALX operates five A320-200s and a single A321-200, the ch-aviation fleets advanced module shows. It plans to wet-lease a single A320-200 from minority shareholder SmartLynx Airlines (6Y, Riga) starting next month, and will add a further two in-house units of the type by the end of May. The first of these will be an ex-Alaska Airlines jet due for delivery in March 2022. GLOBALX said it would be N628VA (msn 2993), a sistership of N626VA (msn 2830) and N627VA (msn 2851), both of which are also ex-Alaska Airlines (AS, Seattle Tacoma Int'l) inventory.

The airline underlined that it is planning to add more aircraft to benefit from low lease rates. It said earlier...

Editorial Comment: The identity of the A319 and the new A320 have been updated. - 13.01.2022 - 06:28 UTC

Portugal's Hi Fly transfers last A340 to Maltese AOC

Hi Fly (5K, Beja) transferred its last A340-300 to sister carrier Hi Fly Malta (HFM, Malta Int'l) on December 21, 2021, Skyliner Aviation has reported.

9H-TQY (msn 190), formerly CS-TQY, operated its last flight under the Portuguese AOC on December 15, 2021, from Pittsburgh Int'l to Berau. Following brief maintenance and re-registration, the 24.3-year-old ex-Singapore Airlines and Emirates jet was moved to the Maltese register and flew to Ho Chi Minh City on December 21. It has since been in near daily operation on long-haul cargo-only services, Flightradar24 ADS-B data shows.

Following the transfer, Hi Fly's Portuguese-registered fleet comprises one A321-200, one A330-200, and one A330-900, the ch-aviation fleets advanced module shows. In turn, the Maltese carrier operates one A319-100, one A321-200, three A330-300s, one A330-900, and six A340-300s. Hi Fly Malta is now the world's second-largest operator of the A340-300, behind only Lufthansa (LH, Frankfurt Int'l).