Montenegro Airlines (Podgorica) has issued a Request For Proposals (RFP) for the dry-lease of either an E195 or E195-E2 for delivery in April 2020.

The Montenegrin carrier said that it expects the contract to run for a minimum of three years, i.e. through April 2023, but with an option to extend the lease duration with the same terms.

The carrier is planning to install at least 116 passenger seats in the jet. It expects to utilise the aircraft for 2,400 block hours or 2,030 flight hours per year, with an average of 1.4 flight hours per cycle. The tender documentation allows for offers concerning both new and used equipment.

Montenegro Airlines said it will choose the offer based on the lowest lease rates (70% weight), lowest maintenance reserves (15%), engines with more than 10,000 flight cycles remaining on their lifespan (10%), and lowest deposit (5%).

The deadline for the submission of proposals is ‎November‎ ‎22‎, ‎2019.

The airline currently operates two owned Fokker 100s (including one permanently retired) and three E195LRs, of which one is owned and two are dry-leased from GECAS. For the last twelve trailing months through the end of March 2019, the carrier's E195s were utilised for between 1,703 and 1,910 flight hours and operated between 1,322 and 1,488 flight cycles, the ch-aviation fleets module shows.

The new E195 or E195-E2 will replace the second remaining Fokker 100. Chief Executive Živko Banjević told ch-aviation earlier this year that Embraer jets were ideal for the Montenegrin market.