Tunisair: Several repatriation flights in the coming days

Tunisair airline has scheduled a new repatriation flight from Casablanca next Sunday to bring back Tunisians stranded in Morocco since the suspension of flights last week. It is launching promotions in France for tourists and students, and announces the entry into service of its first Airbus A320neo for October.

Following the suspension by Morocco of flights to and from the neighboring country due to the Covid-19 pandemic, the Tunisian national company announces for April 25, 2021 at 11:35 p.m. the departure of a repatriation flight from Casablanca-Mohammed V airport. The Tunisair representation in Morocco calls on “all Tunisians stranded in Morocco as a priority, to go to its city agency exclusively, in order to acquire or modify their departure ticket” for this flight TU712 . Air links between the two countries are suspended until May 21 at the earliest, with Morocco bringing the number of “banned” countries including France, Switzerland and Belgium to 53 – including via a connection.

On the fleet side, the five Airbus A320neo acquired in 2016 and then having been the subject of a sale-leaseback agreement with the leasing company SMBC Aviation Capital in 2019 are approaching their base in Tunis-Carthage. According to new CEO Khaled Chelly interviewed by RTCI radio, the first should go into service next October. Three were initially expected this year and the other two in 2022, the Covid-19 pandemic being partly responsible for the delivery times.

Only seven aircraft are currently available, after, for example, the departure for maintenance of four A320s or the stopping of the supply of spare parts by suppliers for lack of payment (one of the A330s could be redeployed in the coming days, ensures the CEO).

The Tunisair group’s fleet officially has 32 aircraft (27 owned) including four ATR 72-500 (Tunisair Express), four Airbus A319, fifteen A320, two A330-200 and seven Boeing 737-600 (the latter over 21 years old on average, and who should be the first to leave the fleet). The mentioned order in 2017 for A220 and A330neo never materialized.

Tunisair has also extended until May 15 its summer promotions, valid for travel from June 24 to August 20, 2021. With in particular an offer for Tunisian students abroad, also valid until 15 May but for flights between June 1 and August 10.