How safe are planes that are used for ‘wet leasing’?

Simon Calder answers your questions on ‘part-time’ planes, the UAE’s passport policy and air passenger duty for domestic flights

Simon’s Aer Lingus flight from Belfast to London this weekend will be on a BA plane (Getty)

Q I read about the practice of “wet leasing” in which the plane you expect is substituted by another airline. How safe are these “part-time” planes?

R Shepherd

A Airlines using other carriers to do the flying for them is almost as old as the aviation industry. As my article explained, this year British Airways is once again wet leasing – chartering planes with the requisite pilots and cabin crew – from outside. In this case, Titan Airways, based at Stansted airport in Essex, will take over BA flights on a range of short-haul routes. And my Aer Lingus flight from Belfast to London this weekend will actually be on British Airways “metal” – ie a BA plane and crew. These two examples give a hint about the wide range of reasons for wet leasing: the first is to replace the Irish airline because Brexit prohibits it from operating a UK domestic flight, while British Airways simply does not have the resources to cover its planned schedule fully.