Jazeera Airways (J9, Kuwait) is planning to place an order for 25 narrowbody jets in the second half of 2020, CEO Rohit Ramachandran told Abu Dhabi-based daily The National.
The Kuwaiti LCC is evaluating both Airbus and Boeing aircraft.
"Both neo and MAX are good aircraft, the decision will boil down to two things: commercial terms and support," Ramachandran said.
According to the ch-aviation fleets module, Jazeera Airways currently operates nine A320-200s and one A320-200neo. It also wet-leases another A320 from Romania's Just Us Air (Bucharest Baneasa). The carrier plans to expand its fleet to 13 aircraft by the end of 2019 and to sixteen in 2020 with all the new units being A320neo.
"We found distressed assets available from airlines that cannot take delivery and we swooped down to acquire those at very attractive lease rates," Ramachandran said.
Jazeera Airways plans to add new services to Al Ain, Dhaka, Chittagong, Kathmandu, Dammam, and Gassim by the end of 2020. Jazeera Airways is also considering connecting Kuwait with new destinations in the CIS states, India, Pakistan, Oman, and possibly Iran.
The carrier was also intending to use the incoming A320neo to launch long mid-haul flights. Jazeera Airways recently announced services to London Gatwick starting on October 27, 2019, and is considering adding new routes to the UK, namely to Manchester International and Birmingham, GB. Other destinations in Europe of interest to the airline are Munich, Malaga, Athens, and Nice, although Ramachandran pointed out that more long-haul services were unlikely before the end of 2020.
