Shannon, Ireland, July 31, 2019 – GECAS has contracted with Ural Airlines to provide two A321neo aircraft from the lessor’s orderbook, with deliveries in October and December of this year. The narrowbody aircraft will be the first LEAP-powered A321neo to enter service in the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS).

“We’re proud to bring these new technology aircraft to Ural Airlines,” explains Mick O’Mahony, GECAS’ Commercial SVP & Region Manager in the Middle East, Africa and CIS. “It’s a pleasure to continue our more than 10-year relationship with Ural Airlines and support the expansion of their fleet.”

“The A321neo will provide our pilots and crews commonality with our existing A320 family fleet along with the enhanced fuel efficiency of the LEAP engines,” notes Andrei Melnikov, Head of Fleet Development, adding “These new aircraft provide us additional capacity as we continue to grow and renew our fleet while offering our customers the comfort afforded by these modern aircraft.”

With a current in-service fleet of 45 aircraft from the Airbus A320 family – including A319, A320 and A321 – the Russian operator now transports more than 9 million passengers annually and is among the largest rapidly-developing Russian airlines.