Vueling to add six aircraft, several new routes in 2012

Vueling Airlines (VY) will add five Airbus A320s and one A319 this year to support its organic growth as it launches 44 new routes and at least three new bases, CEO Alex Cruz said. The carrier is also proceeding with plans to order “at least” 50 new aircraft.

The Barcelona El Prat (BCN) low-cost carrier, has an all-leased Airbus A320 fleet; the potential purchase tender has been in the pipeline since early last year.

“We announced last year we would go through a re-fleeting exercise this year. This is the first time ever in Vueling’s history. We have issued documentation to vendors and we are expecting their responses now and doing vendor visits,” Cruz told ATW. He said the company was talking to “all manufacturers with an open mind to the models,” such as the A320 family, Boeing 737 family and Bombardier C Series, noting that “[737]MAX or [A320]neo is not our worry now—we want to make the right financial decision.” Cruz said he hopes to place the order before the summer and confirmed the company has already started the first few rounds of pre-delivery payment financing.

Cruz did not detail the exact size of the order but said it would be for “at least” 50 narrowbodies, to substitute its entire leased fleet plus growth. 

The six new aircraft will also add 23 new routes to its base at BCN, lifting its network there to 70 direct routes. Its BCN-based fleet will grow by five aircraft to 28 aircraft (plus one back-up aircraft) this summer, representing a capacity growth of around 20%. It will open a base at Palma de Mallorca (PMI) with one aircraft; one of its two new international bases will be announced in March.

“We are showing that Vueling is growing organically in its market each year with about six aircraft,” Cruz noted. This summer the carrier will have 48 aircraft. Cruz reiterated an earlier outlook that the company expects to report a profit for 2011.

“The fact that we are looking at a  profitable 2011 against the background of a great deal of competition and increased fuel prices allows us to begin to think that there is a possibility that we do have a sustainable model,” Cruz said.