Wet Lease a Boeing 737-800 or Airbus A320 for Winter 2026/27
Every year the same thing happens. European leisure airlines finish their summer peak in October, and a pool of 737-800s and A320s becomes available for the northern winter. At the same moment, airlines in Asia, Africa and the Middle East head into their busiest months: religious travel, holiday peaks and lunar new year. A wet lease moves capacity from the first group to the second.
The IATA winter season for 2026/27 runs from 25 October 2026 to 27 March 2027. If you need a narrowbody inside that window, the time to lock it in is now.
737-800 or A320: the practical difference
For most wet lease missions the two types are interchangeable, and the choice comes down to what your crews, handlers and passengers are used to.
Boeing 737-800: commonly configured at 186 to 189 seats in all economy. Strong on hot and high airfields, and widely supported across Africa and the Middle East.
Airbus A320ceo: commonly 174 to 180 seats in all economy. A wider cabin, and the natural choice for airlines already flying Airbus, because ground handling and catering equipment carries straight over.
What matters more than the type is the exact configuration. A 189 seat 737 and a 162 seat two class 737 are different products. Ask for the seat map, the galley setup and the baggage hold volume, especially for pilgrimage and group traffic where passengers travel heavy.
Why the slots matter more than the aircraft
Aircraft are available for winter. Airport slots and traffic rights are the real constraint.
At slot coordinated airports, a new operation needs a slot request and often a permit from the destination authority. For busy seasonal destinations this can take three to four months. An airline that starts looking for an aircraft in December for a February programme will usually find a willing lessor and no slots to fly it into.
So the first question in any wet lease is not "which aircraft", it is "do you already hold the slots and permits, or who is applying for them". If the lessee holds them, the lessor slots in behind. If not, the permits become the critical path and the aircraft becomes the easy part.
Where the winter demand comes from
The strongest winter wet lease demand usually comes from:
Religious travel. Umrah traffic peaks around Ramadan, which in 2027 falls roughly from 8 February to 8 March. Feeder markets fly narrowbodies into Jeddah and Medina on dense schedules.
Lunar new year. Tet 2027 falls on 6 February. Vietnamese carriers typically add capacity for about two weeks either side of it.
Holiday peaks in the southern hemisphere and West Africa, where December and January are the busiest months of the year.
Fleet gaps. Airlines waiting on late deliveries, engine shop visits or aircraft stuck in heavy checks.
How a narrowbody wet lease is priced
A narrowbody ACMI is quoted per block hour with a monthly minimum, the same structure as smaller aircraft. On top of that come the costs you carry directly: fuel, airport and navigation charges, handling, catering, crew hotels and positioning to your base.
Two points make a real difference to the final number:
Utilisation. A lessor pricing a single winter season wants the aircraft flying. A schedule with high daily utilisation earns a better hourly rate than one where the aircraft sits on the ground half the day.
Term fit. A contract that covers the whole season, or that dovetails with another lessee's programme, is easier to price than a six week block in the middle of it.
For background on how the lease types differ, read our guide to ACMI vs dry lease vs wet lease.
Insurance territory
Many insurers exclude certain countries and regions from standard cover. Before you ask for quotes, check that every airport on your planned network sits inside the lessor's permitted territory. A lessor who has to extend cover will either add a premium or decline.
What we need to quote
To come back with firm options, a lessor needs:
Aircraft type preference and minimum seat count
Base and the airports on the network
Start and end dates, and any flexibility
Monthly block hours or a draft schedule
Whether you hold the slots and permits already
Jetvice is currently placing 737-800 and A320 capacity for the W26/27 season. Send us your requirement at info@jetvice.net, or see our aircraft leasing page for how we structure ACMI and wet lease agreements.
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