Air Austral signed a firm order this week for three Airbus A220 aircraft. With this order, the Réunion Island-based airline becomes the first A220 customer based in the Indian Ocean region.
Airline officials said the A220-300s are part of a renewal of the carrier's short- and medium-haul fleet. Air Austral stands to reduce its costs and carbon footprint on international routes in the region, benefitting from the A220's 20% reduction in fuel burn and CO2 emissions.
"The economic and operational performance of the A220 opens new possibilities for the development of our regional network from our main base - Réunion Island - in an efficient and rational way," Air Austral CEO Marie-Joseph Malé said in a statement. "The 132-seat capacity module, which is more flexible, will allow us to increase our frequencies while offering more comfort to our customers and crews."
The A220 is the only aircraft purpose-built for the 100-to-150-seat market. It delivers unbeatable fuel efficiency and widebody passenger comfort in a single-aisle aircraft. The aircraft brings together state-of-the-art aerodynamics, advanced materials and Pratt & Whitney’s latest-generation PW1500G GTF engines to offer at least a 20% lower fuel burn per seat compared to previous generation aircraft, along with significantly lower emissions and a reduced noise footprint.
The A220 had an order book of more than 500 aircraft at the end of September.