Tunisair eyes A330neo, C-Series for int'l growth

Tunisair (TU, Tunis) is set to order A330neo from Airbus (AIB, Toulouse Blagnac) and, pending shareholder approval, C-Series jets from Bombardier (BBA, Montréal Trudeau) as part of the majority state-owned carrier's international growth plans.

In an interview with Forbes magazine, CEO Elyes Mnakbi said the order with Airbus (AIB, Toulouse Blagnac) would see three A330neo delivered in 2019 and three in 2020. There is also the possibility of including three optioned aircraft although this is subject to confirmation.

The C-Series order would likely number "two or three aircraft", he said, depending on government approval. Products from Embraer are also under consideration.
Tunisair currently operates four A319-100s, seventeen A320-200s, two A330-200s, and seven B737-600s with five A320neo due for delivery by the end of the decade. According to Mnakbi, the A330s will be retained in service until their 12-year leases expire. An order for a third was dropped.

As previously reported, Tunisair plans to develop Tunis into an intercontinental hub focusing on funnelling traffic between Africa, Europe, and North America.

Concerning Europe, the North African state's long-awaited Open Skies agreement with the European Union (EU) is due to be signed on December 11. The treaty will cover all Tunisian airports with the exception of Tunis for the time being.