Heston Airlines plans up to 30 narrowbodies

 

Heston Airlines (HN, Vilnius) plans to expand its fleet to up to 30 narrowbody aircraft by 2031, the chief executive officer of the Lithuanian ACMI specialist, Jonas Rinkauskas, shared in a statement on the airline's fifth anniversary.

According to ch-aviation data, it currently operates ten A320-200s, which are deployed on wet lease contracts for customers including AZAL Azerbaijan Airlines and Condor. Heston is wet leasing in one additional A320-200 from Valletta Airlines.

Heston Airlines said the additional aircraft will be deployed across different regions throughout the year to reduce its reliance on seasonal markets. Chief executive Jonas Rinkauskas said the next stage of growth will focus on "global diversification."

The fleet target is not entirely new. In 2023, maintenance provider J&C Aero said the carrier planned to expand its Airbus fleet to 30 aircraft, including widebodies, "over three years" as part of a continuous airworthiness management agreement.

While the carrier specialises in ACMI services, it also offers weekly scheduled flights from Tallinn Lennart Meri to Irakleion.

CH Aviation / Photos Heston

Heston Airlines eyes US charters

Lithuania’s Heston Airlines (HN, Vilnius) has applied to operate passenger and cargo charter flights to the United States, according to a regulatory filing with the US Department of Transportation (DOT).

The airline has applied for expedited processing of a foreign air carrier permit and exemption authority to allow it to begin operations as soon as possible of foreign charters of persons, property, and mail between any point/s in the member states of the European Union (EU), and any point/s in the US, to the full extent allowed under the EU-US Open Skies agreement.

In particular, Heston Airlines has applied to fly from any base/s behind any EU member state via any point/s in any member state and via intermediate points to any station/s in the US and beyond. It also wants to fly between any destination/s in the US and any point/s in any European Common Aviation Area member.

The application also covers foreign cargo charter between any point/s in the US and any other stations.

Heston Airlines Chief Executive Officer Jonas Rinkauskas was not immediately available for comment.

According to its application, Heston Airlines obtained an Air Operator’s Certificate (AOC) from the Lithuanian Civil Aviation Authority on May 5, 2021.

Its current all Airbus fleet includes three A320-200s leased from CRA Aircraft Ireland, GFL Holdings, and Genesis Aircraft Services. Two more are due for delivery, according to the ch-aviation fleets advanced module. The rest of Heston Airlines' fleet comprises three A330-200s leased from Avolon.

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Heston Airlines reveals alliance with lessor

Heston Airlines (Vilnius) parent Heston Aviation has officially joined forces with Irish lessor Genesis

Aircraft Services to build and launch the Vilnius-based start-up in its efforts to become established as

an all-A320 Family charter and ACMI service provider, a jointly issued press release has revealed.

While announcing that Genesis and Heston Aviation had “formed an alliance” to get the airline off the

ground, the statement said that Genesis, which was founded in 2014 by global financial service firm

Barings, had been working with the Lithuanian aircraft trading and maintenance firm to this end “over

the past 12 months.”

During this period, the Dublin Int'l-based lessor “has supported the strategy and development of the

airline and has just concluded on delivering the airline’s first 180-seat A320 aircraft to support the final

stages of Heston Airlines’ application for an EASA Air Operator Certificate (AOC).”

Genesis will now work with Heston Airlines “to deliver additional A320s” which are planned to enter

service in 2021, the statement added.

“Since March 2020, Genesis has been working together with the Heston team on this innovative way

to bring flexible lift directly into the charter and ACMI airline market, providing both wet and dry leasing

solutions to airlines as they start to take off with the vaccine roll-out across Europe,” Genesis CEO Karl

Griffin said.

Heston Airlines CEO Jonas Rinkauskas elaborated that “entering this agreement marks a substantial

moment in our long-term strategy and efforts to increase vertical integration and cost control.”

Leveraging the lessor’s global portfolio of aircraft will contribute to “our ability to offer significantly

better, faster, more flexible, and cost-efficient services to our clients.”

Under a number of SVPs, Genesis has a portfolio of 73 owned all-narrowbody Airbus and Boeing

aircraft, placed with 34 customers in 37 countries.

As previously reported, Heston Airlines intends to take delivery of its first A320-200, LY-FJI (msn 2157)

(currently ES-LAA, in maintenance at Vilnius), owned by Genesis affiliate CRA Aircraft Ireland, in the

first quarter of 2021 and later a second Genesis-owned A320, LY-VUT (msn 2112) (currently LZ-GNF,

stored at Shannon).

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Lithuanian startup Heston to launch flights in May

Wet-lease startup Heston Airlines, which is being created by Dublin-based lessor Genesis and

narrowbody specialist Heston Aviation, has taken delivery of its first Airbus A320 ahead of a May

launch. 

Lithuania-headquartered Heston Airlines will be an all-Airbus A320 family operator, focusing on 

charter, wet- and dry-lease flying for tour operators and airlines within the Europe, Middle East and 

Africa (EMEA) region. 

“Heston Airlines is in the process of receiving [its] AOC and plans to start its European operations 

with three 180-seater Airbus A320s, with plans to grow its fleet to seven aircraft by 2022,” a company 

spokesman told Routes on Feb. 23. 

Genesis and Heston Aviation have been working on the project since March 2020. Their plans for 

Heston Airlines’ launch were formally announced on Feb. 23. 

“Over the past 12 months, Genesis has supported the strategy and development of the airline and 

has just concluded on delivering the airline’s first 180-seat A320 aircraft to support the final stages of 

Heston Airlines application for an EASA AOC. Genesis will work with Heston Airlines to deliver 

additional A320 aircraft, which are planned to enter service in 2021,” the partners said. 

Heston Aviation specializes in mid-life narrowbody aircraft leasing and trading, as well as 

maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO). 

Heston Airlines is headed by Jonas Rinkauskas, who was previously chief commercial officer of 

Lithuanian charter and ACMI operator GetJet Airlines. 

“Entering this agreement marks a substantial moment in our long-term strategy and efforts to 

increase vertical integration and cost control,” Rinkauskas said. 

“The possibility to leverage Genesis’ global portfolio of aircraft and unparalleled expertise will 

contribute to both our growth as a company, and to our ability to offer significantly better, faster, 

more flexible and cost-efficient services to our clients.” 

Genesis is a full-service lessor with a portfolio of 73 Airbus and Boeing commercial aircraft, placed 

with 43 customers. 

Photo credit: Heston Airlines and Genesis

Heston Airlines takes first A320

Heston Airlines (Vilnius) has taken delivery of its first A320-200, LY-FJI (msn 2157), and intends to shortly add a further two units of the type ahead of its planned launch in early 2021.

The 16.9-year-old Airbus narrowbody was ferried from Tallinn Lennart Meri to Vilnius on November 17, 2020, following its retirement by the previous operator, Airest (AEG, Tallinn Lennart Meri). The aircraft is owned by CRA Aircraft Ireland and managed by Seraph Aviation Management, the ch-aviation fleets ownership module shows. For now, it remains registered as ES-LAA in Estonia.

The second A320 for Heston Airlines will be LY-VUT (msn 2112), a 17.3-year-old aircraft owned by Genesis Aircraft Services and also managed by Seraph. The aircraft was last operated by Pan Pacific Airlines (8Y, Manila Ninoy Aquino Int'l) through January 2020. It is currently registered as LZ-GNF and stored at Shannon airport.

Heston Airlines' third A320-200 will be registered as LY-NZL, according to its website. The airline told ch-aviation that it was still negotiating the deal with the lessor and, as such, did not identify the aircraft.

The ACMI/charter start-up has yet to secure an Air Operator's Certificate (AOC) in Lithuania.

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