Air Austral, a French airline that serves as the flag carrier of the overseas department of Réunion, is reportedly giving up on the Airbus A220.
According to French financial newspaper La Tribune, Air Austral has faced repeated technical issues stemming from the aircraft’s Pratt & Whitney GTF engines and is retiring all three of its A220s as a result.
“Given the technical problems we are experiencing with this medium-haul fleet, we believe we have no other choice – and it is a forced choice – than to try to evolve towards a new module in order to stabilize the company,” company chairman Hugues Marchessaux told the newspaper.
Engine troubles and the resulting downtime for aircraft threaten to undermine Air Austral’s routes linking Réunion, an island in the Indian Ocean, with Madagascar, Mauritius, South Africa, and the French island territory Mayotte, Marchessaux added, making it all the more critical to find a suitable alternative.
The A320neo and Boeing’s 737 MAX are being looked at as potential replacements.
Air Austral introduced its first A220 in 2021. Its current fleet consists of the A220, the Boeing 787, and the 777-300ER.
Pratt recalled its GTF engines in 2023 after discovering that contaminated powdered metal was used in the manufacture of some parts, which can lead to corrosion and cracking. The company is in the process of testing and repairing the engines for airlines around the world.
Air Austral flies mainly to island destinations in the southern Indian Ocean, as well as to cities in continental Africa. It also offers nonstop service to Paris.
