summary
- EgyptAir will sell all 12 Airbus A220-300 aircraft to aircraft leasing company Azora.
- The sale of the A220 is part of EgyptAir’s fleet transformation, allowing the airline to acquire new Airbus widebody aircraft.
- Azora has strong partnerships with Airbus and Pratt & Whitney and believes the well-equipped A220 will be attractive to a growing airline customer base.
EgyptAir will unload all 12 of its Airbus A220-300 aircraft and sell them to aircraft leasing company Azora. All 12 aircraft of this type are owned by the company, so the deal could result in a significant cash boost.
Young fleet of A220s
However, EgyptAir’s Airbus A220-300 aircraft fleet is relatively new, with ch-aviation data showing that the subtype has an average tenure of 4.1 years. Airbus delivered its latest A220 in September 2020, having delivered its first aircraft of the type exactly one year ago.
According to an aviation analysis firm’s report Kirium, the deal is part of EgyptAir’s fleet transformation, with the phasing out of the A220 allowing the airline to acquire new Airbus widebody aircraft. Meanwhile, Azora CEO John Evans said the deal was facilitated by the lender’s strong partnership with Airbus and Pratt & Whitney, supplier of the PW1500G engine, an option exclusive to the A220 family. He said that it is extremely important to do so. .
Photo: Airbus
Mr Evans added that the aircraft was new and well-maintained, with the engine also newly overhauled and updated by the aircraft manufacturer. The CEO further stated that the aircraft has strong market demand and is attractive to Azora’s growing airline customer base. Currently, this aircraft leasing company manages his fleet of 95 aircraft, six of which are Airbus A220-300s.
In January 2022, Azora ordered 22 Airbus A220s, divided into 20 A220-300s and two Airbus Corporate Jets (ACJ) 220s. At the time, Evans said the A220 is ideally suited to the lessor’s growing portfolio and the company is excited to bring the aircraft to the airline when the time is right. According to Airbus’ order and delivery report, the manufacturer has not yet delivered the A220 as of December 31, 2023.
Meanwhile, the company delivered all 12 Airbus A220-300 aircraft to EgyptAir between September 2019 and September 2020. Over the past few months, EgyptAir has continued to reduce the number of one-way flights scheduled to fly with its A220-300 aircraft. The airline is scheduled to operate 1,149 flights with the A220-300 in December 2021, making it its busiest month since the first deliveries of the A220-300, according to data from aviation analytics firm Cirium.
However, the airline continued to reduce the number of flights operated by the aircraft. EgyptAir has planned 484, 502 and 400 flights with its A220-300 in December 2023, January 2024 and February 2024, respectively. From April 2024 to September 2024, he has less than 100 itineraries of this type.
EgyptAir receives first Airbus A220
engine trouble
Airbus A220-300s powered by Pratt & Whitney’s PW1500G do not suffer from the same problems as the PW1100G, which forced many airlines operating the Airbus A320neo family to ground the aircraft. , operators of A220-300 aircraft are also suffering from similar problems. That engine.
Photo: Airbus
AirBaltic has been at the forefront of this issue, with the Latvian airline continuing to express dissatisfaction with availability and maintenance delays related to its engines. However, these issues have also affected other airlines, including EgyptAir.
The good, the bad and the ugly: The world’s Airbus A220s are in trouble with PW engines.
The Airbus A220 is a big liability for some airlines because of its engines. But what about overall?
