Xiamen Airlines plans to lease 10 Airbus aircraft

XIAMEN -- To address the problem of insufficient capacity due to its grounding of Boeing 737MAX aircraft, Xiamen Airlines has planned to introduce 10 new A321neo aircraft, scheduled to be delivered from the second half of 2021 to 2023 by operating lease.

The airline company said on its website that it is currently inviting leasing companies for inquiries. It also listed basic requirements for qualified lessors, including their proposal and an audited financial report for the most recent year.

The net worth of potential lessors shall be no less than $50 million, the website notice said.

Xiamen Airlines is operating a fleet of 167 Boeing aircraft. According to a previous plan, the company planned to introduce 30 Boeing 737 MAX8s and 10 Boeing 737 MAX10s.

In 2019, Xiamen Airlines introduced one Boeing aircraft. However, it grounded 10 Boeing 737 MAXs starting March 2019 following the plane crash in Ethiopia.

Representatives of Xiamen Airlines were invited to pay a visit to Airbus in October, but no orders were placed during the visit, said a source of Xiamen Airlines.

Xiamen Airlines, established in 1984 and based in Xiamen, a coastal city in East China's Fujian province, operates a network of nearly 400 domestic and international air routes.