Smartlynx Airlines Ceases Operations After Three Decades
Smartlynx pulls the plug after creditor protection
Latvian cargo, charter, and ACMI specialist Smartlynx Airlines has officially ceased operations after more than 30 years of flying. The carrier confirmed the news in a statement on its LinkedIn page, just weeks after filing for creditor protection at the start of the month and undergoing a change of ownership.
Despite attempts to stabilize its finances, mounting pressure made it impossible for Smartlynx to sustain viable operations. According to schedule data, its last planned flights were six Indian domestic services on behalf of IndiGo on November 9. As the airline put it, the decision to stop flying came only after a “thorough assessment” of its situation and long-term outlook.
From Soviet classics to European ACMI workhorse
Smartlynx’s story began in 1992, when it was founded as LatCharter. Operations started in 1993 with a very different fleet than the one most passengers would recognize today: Soviet-era aircraft like the Tupolev Tu-134B-3 and Yakovlev Yak-42D formed the backbone of its early years.
Over time, the airline modernized, moving into Western types and rebranding as Smartlynx in 2008. It transitioned into Airbus and Boeing aircraft, notably the A320 family and the Boeing 767, as it found its niche providing capacity to other airlines rather than building a big scheduled network of its own.
Smartlynx itself summed up the journey by saying it started as “a small Latvian airline with big dreams” and grew into “an international family” known for resilience and adaptability.
An ACMI and charter specialist with big-name customers
Smartlynx’s core business was ACMI and charter flying, supplying aircraft, crew, maintenance, and insurance to other airlines that needed extra capacity. In Europe, many passengers will have flown Smartlynx without even realizing it, boarding an all-white or lightly branded Airbus operating on behalf of a major carrier.
In recent years, Smartlynx expanded beyond Europe, including ACMI work as far away as India. The airline also moved into cargo in 2020, launching operations with converted Airbus A321 freighters. Its ACMI reputation helped it attract major customers in the 2020s, including airlines such as easyJet and Air Peace, which used Smartlynx jets to bolster their own schedules.
The final Smartlynx fleet
By the time operations ceased, Smartlynx had a 14-strong fleet, entirely made up of Airbus A320ceo-family aircraft:
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Airbus A320-200: 9
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Airbus A321-200: 4
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Airbus A321-200P2F (freighter): 1
These aircraft were not particularly young, with average ages around the high-teens to mid-20s, but they were well suited to high-utilization ACMI work. Historically, the airline had operated many more A320s and A321s, including additional A321 freighters as it grew its cargo arm.
Smartlynx also had a brief widebody chapter. From 2007, it operated two Boeing 767-300ERs, which were used on long-haul contracts and leased out to carriers such as Gabon Airlines, SBA Airlines, and Virgin Nigeria before leaving the fleet in the early 2010s.
Bottom line
Smartlynx Airlines has shut down after more than 30 years as one of Europe’s best-known ACMI and charter specialists. What began as a small Latvian airline flying Soviet types evolved into a sizeable operator of Airbus narrowbodies, carrying passengers and cargo on behalf of major carriers across Europe and beyond.
In the end, financial pressures and a challenging operating environment proved too much, even for a company built on flexibility. With Smartlynx gone, airlines will have one fewer ACMI partner to call on for backup capacity, and a familiar behind-the-scenes name in European aviation disappears from the skies.
