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SmartLynx Australia is set to rebrand again following the collapse of SmartLynx Airlines Latvia.
The regional carrier and ACMI operator – which rebranded from Skytrans earlier this year to better align branding with its parent, Avia Solutions Group (ASG) – is set for another change, likely in the new year, its chief commercial officer Richard George exclusively confirmed to Australian Aviation.
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According to George, the rebrand will allow the airline to “concentrate on [its] own operation and [its] own brand and what it means”, with a return to the Skytrans name not ruled out.
“We haven’t confirmed what we’re going to be rebranding to just yet,” he said.
“I don’t think we’ve taken anything off the table. We’re just going through a review as to what the brand is going to be moving forward.”
The news follows the abrupt demise of SmartLynx in Latvia at the end of November, shortly after it was spun off from ASG, with reports of debts in excess of €238 million; it had entered creditor protection several weeks prior.
“This decision comes after a thorough assessment of our situation and long-term outlook, and it was not taken lightly,” the carrier said in a post on LinkedIn.
George told Australian Aviation that the local SmartLynx operation had no connections to the Latvian airline, or other SmartLynx-branded carriers around the world, outside the name.
“The only thing we really shared with any of the other SmartLynx operations was the brand name,” George said.
“Our operation is completely independent, and has been independent here in Australia. So, ours is more just a rebrand that will better represent what our operation is and what we can offer the market, here in Australia and across the Pacific.
“It’s a decision as part of the broader group to move away from the SmartLynx brand. We’ve got Thai SmartLynx, which is also being rebranded at the same time – they’re part of the group.”
SmartLynx Australia received CASA approval for its ACMI services earlier this year, with its second A319 having arrived in Australia in February after the first touched down in December.
The airline is looking to use its A319s to boost passenger capacity for airline clients during peak seasons, as well as allow other regional carriers to test new routes, and offer airlines a stopgap measure while their own aircraft are undergoing maintenance.
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