Airbus A220s To Be Replaced

Air Austral is moving ahead with the replacement of its Airbus A220 fleet following the reporting of the possible move.

The company has signed a letter of intent, or LOI, with Macquarie AirFinance, a leading aircraft lessor, to provide a new aircraft type to the fleet.

Air Austral will begin flying the Airbus A320neo with deliveries scheduled for March and May of 2027. The lease agreement will enable these aircraft to formally replace the A220-300s that are active and power the regional fleet.

A month ago, Air Austral said it was considering replacing its A220 fleet and believed the A320neo and/or the 737 MAX were the best aircraft to replace the regional type.

The airline says the choice marks a significant moment in its history, as it can now consolidate its medium-haul operations and move forward efficiently.

The A320neo deal, which replaces the A220, is also what Air Austral describes, after thorough studies, as the perfect replacement aircraft and, after those studies, as the perfect solution for the business.

Airbus’ popular single-aisle family Air Austral says it has proved itself to be the perfectly suited jet for the regional network, with optimal perfromance and, more importantly, availability that allows the airline to welcome the jet in a timeframe that aligns with the company’s schedule.

Air Austral’s Planned A220 Removal

With Air Austral confirming the LOI for Airbus A320neo jets, this ultimately follows reporting in late September that the airline was looking to offload the regional A220 aircraft.

Reporting suggested that the airline’s frustrations with the A220 were growing, as technical problems persisted with no improvement.

As a result, and despite a great deal of patience already having been exercised, there was a growing internal feeling that the airline needed to cut its losses sooner rather than later and move forward with other options.

Those frustrations with the Airbus A220 stem not from the aircraft itself but from the engines on the type: Pratt & Whitney GTFs, which are the source of all the problems.

Air Austral said it was in constant communication with Pratt & Whitney about its frustrations with the engines’ reliability, and those discussions heated up during the most recent edition of the Paris Airshow.

While the engine manufacturer was said to be hopeful that progress would lead to a resolution of the ongoing issue and smoother operations, most airlines haven’t seen that yet, and patience is wearing thin.

Air Austral’s fleet comprises three A220-300 jets, with registrations F-OLAV, F-OMER, and F-OTER. The A220-300s were delivered in July 2021, and fleet data shows that only one unit, F-OMER, has been parked.