Maldivian has issued a Request for Proposals (RFP) for the purchase and lease of five new or second-hand ATR42-600. The airline plans to lease the aircraft for 12 years if they are new or six years in case of second-hand aircraft. The second-hand aircraft must be free of major maintenance events planned within the next 24 months, 8,000 flight hours, or 6,500 flight cycles, and delivered fresh from a C-Check. The engines must have at least 5,000 cycles remaining on their service life.
The bid requires the turboprops to be cleared in terms of all airworthiness directives and mandatory service bulletins for at least the next 2,800 flight hours or 1,200 cycles whichever is limiting.
The airline plans to source one aircraft for sale-and-leaseback under an operating lease with delivery expected in the Q4 of 2023, three aircraft under operating leases with deliveries in 2024 and the final aircraft under finance lease with delivery in the Q1 of 2025.
The aircraft would be based out of Male and the airline is expecting proposals for 46-seat single-class layout.
The deadline to submit proposals is on May 4, 2023 with the airline planning to notify the three top bidders on May 21, 2023.