TunisAir to take delivery of four A320ceos in dry lease deal

Tunisia’s national carrier TunisAir will acquire next month two narrow-body A320ceos and two others next year, CEO Khaled Chelly announced during the annual general meeting amid declining financial performance by the airline.

K. Chelly said the four jets will be added to the current 17 being operated by the airline as part of efforts to revamp the fleet. The company has already sold five aircrafts and several other jets, Boeing 737-600, have been on sale.

The sales of the jets will provide the airline with $31.1 million in total.

The future acquisition will take place despite difficult financial times that the airline is going through. K. Chelly indicated that the cash-burning company recorded a revenue deficit of $59 million in 2019.

K. Chelly also argued that the company suffered tremendously from the global Covid-19 pandemic and never received any substantial financial backing from the State, unlike most state-run airlines around the world.

The airline is over-staffed, the CEO indicated adding that the objective is to downsize further in view of reaching the target of 2,000, down up from 3,100 who currently work for the sluggish airline.