Azores Airlines SATA International (Portugal) committed to lease six new Airbus A321neo aircraft, including four A321LR versions, from Air Lease.

“We are very pleased with this historic aircraft renewal project and the commitment to lease six new A321neos with ALC, who has a long-term business relationship with SATA,” said Paolo Menezes, CEO of Azores Airlines. “These aircraft are ideal new jets for our airline and ALC provided outstanding creativity, economics and strategic advantages in this important transaction.”

The CFM Leap 1A engine-powered aircraft from ALC’s order book with Airbus will deliver between the Q4/16 and early 2021. These aircraft will connect Portugal and Azores to cities in the U.S. and Canada, including Boston; Oakland, CA; Providence, RI; Toronto and Montreal, in addition to major western European cities.

“The new ALC A321neo aircraft will replace Azores Airlines’ A310 fleet and add additional frequencies and schedules to the airline’s network on both sides of the Atlantic Ocean and the Azores,” said Steven F. Udvar-Házy, executive chairman of Air Lease.