airBaltic to lease five aircraft to Uruguayan startup SUA Líneas Aéreas
January 29, 2025
Montevideo-based regional Latin American startup SUA Líneas Aéreas is to benefit from a new strategic partnership, signed today with airBaltic, which will see the former receive up to five wet-leased A220-300 aircraft from October 2025. The airline is set to launch operations by the fourth quarter of this year, connecting cities across Uruguay, Argentina, Brazil and Chile.
“Collaborating with SUA Líneas Aéreas represents a unique opportunity to bring airBaltic’s expertise in operating the Airbus A220-300 to a new region,” explained airBaltic CEO and president Martin Gauss. “We look forward to supporting SUA in their journey to strengthen regional connectivity and deliver exceptional service in Latin America”.
The lease of the aircraft will prove instrumental in supporting the new airline “in such areas as operational set-up, pilot training, know-how sharing, IT and automation, and the airline’s sustainability initiatives,” elaborated airBaltic. SUA Líneas Aéreas CEO Antonio Rama Toscano described the support as “critical in the early phase of [SUA’s] development,” adding: “Through this alliance, we will benefit from airBaltic’s expertise in key areas such as fleet management, operational efficiency, and staff training”.
SUA’s initial routes “will aim to reduce travel times and provide direct alternatives for regional passengers who currently face limited or inconvenient options,” added airBaltic. With a range of 3,400 nautical miles and a typical two-class configuration of up to 150 seats, Airbus describes the A220-300 as a “network builder”.
Crucially for airBaltic, the lease of the aircraft is planned for the winter season “to make more efficient use of [its] aircraft without impacting the existing route network”. Its summer 2025 capacity is already facing constraints with the cancellation of 4,670 of its own services, necessitated following prolonged engine maintenance issues from engine supplier Pratt & Whitney.
