On Monday, Sep 1 Plus Ultra received in Madrid their Airbus A340-313X 9Ac-LG, serial number 212. This is the first aircraft officially incorporated to their fleet. However, the airline still lacks an Air Operator’s Certificate. This has been confirmed by Rony Nahon – commercial director for Plus Ultra – to Preferente.com. Nahon used to work for Air Madrid.
Plus Ultra may be one of the Spanish startups which gestation period is longest: almost five years. According to Flynews, this A340 together with the 9AC-LH serial number 215 – also intended for Plus Ultra – have been parked in Amman (Jordan) where they were painted for the new airline.
The original plans were to offer long-haul flights like Air Madrid used to do. Afterwards, there was a change in the project and they announced they would fly for Conviasa between Caracas and Madrid. Finally, they got back to the original plan.
During this time, they have been looking for several A340. Even they were thinking of one which Iberia was going to give back to the lessor. That was the EC-HDQ. However, plans changed. Both A340’s which have finally been incorporated were built for Singapore Airlines in 2003. After Singapore Airlines, they were sold to Gulf Air. Finally, they were taken out of service in 2011.
Miguel Martínez is Plus Ultra’s chairman. Formerly, he used to be deputy chairman for Air Madrid. Before that, he worked for Globalia. For these reasons, OCU – a Spanish consumer organization – and some others requested our Civil Aviation and AESA that they extrem caution in compliance with European regulations.
Photo: A340 on Plus Ultra’s livery from plusultra.com
According to Planespotters, this A340 was first registerd as 9V-SJL for Singapore Airlines. Then it was A9C-LG for Gulf Air (instead of 9AC-LG).
http://www.planespotters.net/Production_List/Airbus/A340/212,SX-TIF-Hellenic-Imperial-Airways.php
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