Business news

MINSK, 9 April (BelTA) – The Belarusian air carrier Belavia intends to offer new service to Munich and Madrid starting 2019, BelTA learned from Belavia Director General Anatoly Gusarov on 9 April.

The executive said: “We intend to considerably expand the network of flights by reaching new destinations in 2018-2021. We intend to offer new regular service to Rostov-on-Don and Kazan this year. As far as the next year is concerned, we are considering offering flights to Munich, Madrid, and Voronezh. In 2020 we intend to offer air service to European Union and Central Asia countries.”

Belavia also intends to radically renew its aircraft fleet by the end of 2021. “We intend to operate aircraft made by two manufacturers — Embraer and Boeing. Since it is quite expensive to buy aircraft outright, we are working on ways to get them on leasing terms,” noted the Belavia director general. In particular, negotiations have been finished with the Irish company Nordic Aviation Capital on acquiring five Embraer aircraft on leasing terms. In line with the contracts Belavia will get three Embraer 195 aircraft and two Embraer 175 aircraft. The first three aircraft — two Embraer 195 and one Embraer 175 — are expected to be delivered in April 2019. The two other aircraft will be delivered in December 2019 and April 2020.

“Apart from that, in the near future we will finish negotiations with a U.S. leasing company on getting four Boeing 737 Max aircraft on leasing terms. Those are new-generation aircraft,” added Anatoly Gusarov.