Gulf Sky A320s | 2019-2020

(TOP)
Airline - Gulf Sky
Aircraft - Airbus A320-200 | LN-EGA
Delivered to Global Airlines, 2002
Stored at Buffalo Niagara International Airport, 2016
Sold to Atlantic Charter, 2016
Leased to Gulf Sky, 2019
Returned to Atlantic Charter, 2020
Stored at Al Amin International Airport, 2020
Livery - Atlantic Charter Hybrid 2019
Country - Kingdom of Dhahran

(BOTTOM)
Airline - Gulf Sky
Aircraft - Airbus A320-200 | EI-TPL
Delivered to ILFC, 2010
Leased to Kievan Airlines, 2010
Returned to ILFC, 2014
Leased to MetroSwiss, 2014
Returned to ILFC, 2019
Stored at Frankfurt Hahn Airport, 2019
Leased to Gulf Sky, 2020
Livery - Standard 2015
Country - Kingdom of Dhahran

After the 737 MAX groundings in 2019, Gulf Sky was forced to urgently find a way to supplement its fleet with other aircraft and maintain service on newly-launched routes. To achieve this, the airline wet-leased eight Airbus A320s from Atlantic Charter. These allowed the airline to continue operating - now with a mixed 737-800 and A320 fleet - with minimal service disruptions, despite the inability to actually use any of the 737 MAX aircraft it had taken delivery of. The wet-lease contract was signed for a period of one year, during which time the Dhahrani LCC began hiring and training A320 flight crews and searching for a way to secure a more permanent A320 fleet. An order for A320neos was placed with Airbus (with DHP Capital once again acting as the intermediary), however delivery slots could only be obtained for 2022. Therefore, Gulf Sky has also signed a contract for twelve long-term A320 leases with ILFC, the first two of which have already entered the fleet. Atlantic Charter's A320s were projected to leave the fleet by the end of April 2020, however because of decreased demand due to the COVID-19 pandemic, these were all returned in mid-March, with the lessor waiving contract cancellation fees in return for the Dhahrani government allowing it to store a number of aircraft at Al Amin airport in Ras Al Qua, including the eight A320s given up by Gulf Sky.


Disclaimer: This project is designed to look at the progression of aviation in a more-or-less generic fictional Middle Eastern state. The fictional Kingdom of Dhahran is located near the real Saudi Arabian city called Dhahran, but has no affiliation with it, and the name is a coincidence. Any other similarities to real people, locations, or situations may be intentional. I have zero knowledge of Arabic, so while I have spent considerable time trying to get it right, mistakes are possible, and any advice is greatly appreciated.