French carrier Air Austral plans to withdraw its fleet of three Airbus A220-300 aircraft after years of technical issues that have seriously disrupted the airline’s regional operations, reports French news portal La Tribune.
Air Austral’s CEO, Hugues Marchessaux, stated during the IFTM TopResa trade fair in Paris that the company has no other option but to switch to a new aircraft type. “Given the technical problems we are facing with this medium-haul fleet, we believe we have no other choice – and it is a forced decision. We will try to transition to a new type to stabilize the company,” said Marchessaux.
Air Austral introduced the A220 four years ago to modernize and reduce costs, but ongoing technical problems have led to frequent groundings and disruptions to operations. The situation has particularly affected regional routes from the carrier’s home base on Réunion to Mayotte, Madagascar, Mauritius, and South Africa.
The shortlist of aircraft to replace the A220 currently includes the Airbus A320neo and Boeing 737 MAX, with a final decision expected soon. According to La Tribune, the company’s management stresses that this move is necessary to restore passenger confidence and secure the long-term sustainability of operations.
