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Friday, 29.03.2024, 14:27
SmartLynx Airlines plans expansion to Asia and North America
SmartLynx Airlines CEO Zygimantas Surintas said that the company’s strategic plan is to become the first choice provider of aircraft lease and charter services in Europe in the medium-price segment. To ensure this, the company intends to expand its fleet and region of operations.
In Europe, our business is affected by seasonal fluctuations – the market is active from May to October. It is therefore strategically import to expand to a market that does not have seasonality, so we will continue to seriously develop operations outside Europe, particularly in Asia, where we see the strongest growth both economically and in terms of passenger numbers. At present, we have a base in Vietnam, we are also considering flying to Cambodia, India, we are eyeing the Philippines and Malaysia. We will also try to expand to the North American and Canadian market. Our strategic plan is to fly from Canada to Latin America and the Caribbean,” the SmartLynx Airlines CEO revealed.
He also said that demand for aviation services is currently on the rise, which is an indication that the market has recovered from the recession and people’s financial situation has stabilized, bringing their travel habits back to the pre-crisis level.
In 2016, SmartLynx Airlines flew 1.9 mln air passengers, up 18.8% from a year before. The company’s turnover grew to EUR 108.4 mln in 2016.
SmartLynx Airlines, established in 1992, has a share capital of EUR 1 mln. The company’s sole owner is the Dutch company Stichting Tripod Investment Management.