Portuguese lease provider Hi Fly has added an Airbus A330-300 to its fleet this week. The former South African Airways aircraft will now serve airlines around the world under Hi Fly’s wet and dry lease business. Let’s find out more about this latest addition to the carrier’s fleet.
New
Hi Fly has taken delivery of its latest Airbus A330-300. The aircraft arrived at the airline’s base in Beja Airport at 14:40 local time on Wednesday, 21st July. The arrival means the lease provider now operates three A330ceos (two A330-300s and one A330-200),
The latest jet is registered 9H-HFA, belonging to Hi Fly’s Malta subsidiary. In total, Hi Fly Malta now operates 11 planes, including five A340s, three A330s, one A321, and two A319s. This gives potential customers a lot of choice when it comes to picking an aircraft that fits their market.
Similar to most of Hi Fly’s fleet, this A330 is a leased one. 9H-HFA began its life as ZS-SXL at South African Airways (SAA), delivered new in April 2017. After less than three years in service, the aircraft was returned to its lessor following SAA’s lengthy grounding. After 16 months out of service, this A330 is now repainted and ready for some action.
Inside
While most of Hi Fly’s widebodies are serving as ‘preighters’ (passenger freighters), this A330-300 has been delivered with seats onboard. The aircraft seats 249 passengers in a two-class layout, including 46 in business class and 203 in economy.
The cabin seems to be unchanged from its time at SAA, where it had been recently upgraded. This means passengers will be treated to a 1-2-1 layout in business class with a two-meter flatbed. All seats also come with inflight entertainment screens with the latest technology. Overall, the cabin ensures that travelers feel like they are in a full-service airline, even if not flying with one.
In a statement about the latest delivery, Hi Fly President Paulo Mirpuri said,
“We are happy to be able to welcome this Airbus A330-300 into our fleet and to keep offering latest airliners to our customers. The move to this state-of.the-art aircraft reflects the company’s commitment to fly modern, efficient and environmentally-friendly. Our goal is to offer our customers what they expect: safe, punctual and reliable operations, all while at the same time keeping pace with our sustainability concerns.”
Range
Whether this plane remains a passenger jet or is converted to a temporary freighter depends on the client. Hi Fly advertises that the A330-300 can offer cargo capacity for 53,500kgs and a volume of 250m³. Range remains unchanged in either layout, with the aircraft flying up to 11,400kms and ETOPS certified for long-haul oceanic flying. Keep an eye out for this jet’s latest customer in the months ahead!
What do you think about Hi Fly’s decision to grow its fleet right now? Let us know in the comments!
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