Qanot Sharq Airlines agrees to lease five A321neos from Air Lease Corporation
US-based aircraft lessor Air Lease Corporation (ALC) has announced that the company has entered into long-term lease agreements with Uzbekistani carrier Qanot Sharq Airlines for five Airbus A321neo narrowbodies. The deal, announced on February 18, 2025, will see the Tashkent-based airline receive the new airplanes between 2026 and 2027 which will be taken from ALC’s existing order book with the European planemaker.
The newly penned agreement will see Qanot Sharq receive three A321XLRs and two additional A321LRs as part of the deal. The five aircraft join six other aircraft in the carrier’s all-Airbus fleet which, according to ch-aviation, already includes two A320-200s, two A321neos, and two A330-200s.
Established in October 2021 as Uzbekistan’s first privately owned airline, Qanot Sharq operates from multiple regional airports in Uzbekistan, providing scheduled and charter passenger services to various international destinations such as Tel Aviv (Israel), Istanbul (Turkey), Jeddah and Medina (Saudi Arabia), and Sharm El-Sheikh (Egypt) in the MENA region. Elsewhere, the carrier serves Phuket (Thailand), Nha Trang, and Phu Quoc (Vietnam) in the APAC region; as well as Budapest (Hungary), Prague (Czech Republic), and Milan (Italy) in Europe.
JetKat / Shutterstock“We are pleased to further strengthen our partnership with Qanot Sharq and support the airline’s continued growth with the addition of five new Airbus A321neo LR/XLR aircraft,” said AJ Abedin, Senior Vice President of Marketing at Air Lease Corporation. “As the airline successfully executes its expansion, these new A321neo jets will enhance its network reach while delivering exceptional performance, range, and fuel efficiency, enabling the airline to provide high-quality service to the Uzbek market.”
“We are excited to expand our partnership with Air Lease and take a significant step forward in expanding our fleet with these new Airbus A321neo LR and XLR aircraft,” said Nosir Abdugafarov, owner of Qanot Sharq Airlines. “These state-of-the-art aircraft will allow us to open new routes, improve fuel efficiency, and provide an enhanced travel experience for our passengers.”
“As Uzbekistan’s first private airline, we are dedicated to growth and innovation, and this agreement represents a key milestone in our long-term vision to expand our destination network while maintaining our commitment to exceptional service,” he added.
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The post Qanot Sharq Airlines agrees to lease five A321neos from Air Lease Corporation appeared first on AeroTime.
US-based aircraft lessor Air Lease Corporation (ALC) has announced that the company has entered into long-term lease agreements…
The post Qanot Sharq Airlines agrees to lease five A321neos from Air Lease Corporation appeared first on AeroTime.
