Tunisair has agreed with the Irish lessor SMBC Aviation to finance five Airbus A320neo aircraft through a «sale and leaseback».
The first delivery is scheduled for December 2021, three for 2022, and the fifth for 2023. This will allow the state-owned company to renew its fleet, reducing the average age of the aircraft from 16 to 10 years.
This deal had been initiated in 2019 by amending the orders for five A320ceo placed in 2008. According to Khaled Al-Chelly, CEO of Tunisair, the agreement will help reduce the company’s costs by providing it with a more modern and efficient aircraft.
Tunisair has been burdened with large debts that led the government to move forward with a reform plan that includes fleet renewal, layoffs, closure of some offices in Europe, and better management of the use of its aircraft.
The company currently has seven Boeing 737-600s, four Airbus A319s, fourteen Airbus A320ceo, and two Airbus A330-200s.
Tunisair flies from the Tunisian capital (TUN) to Madrid (MAD) and Barcelona (BCN), with two and one weekly flight respectively.
