FLEET - Air Transat looks to renew A330s in 2029-32

 Air Transat (TS, Montréal Trudeau) is approaching a pivotal moment in its fleet strategy, with the carrier expecting to decide within the next few years how to replace its ageing A330 fleet. While no formal decision has yet been taken, chief revenue officer Sebastián Ponce indicated that the timeframe for doing so is becoming increasingly clear.

The airline currently operates a fleet of A330-200s and A330-300s that remain well suited to its highly seasonal leisure business model. However, in an interview with ch-aviation during the IATA Annual General Meeting in Rio de Janeiro, Ponce stressed that the A330s will eventually need to be replaced.

"At a point in time, we will need to replace our A330s. So even though we are very happy about them because they're low-cost old aircraft that fit very well into our seasonality, at a certain point around 2029-2032, we will be in need of replacing them. So we're working on that, how to replace them," he said.

The company operates a fully dry-leased fleet of eight A321-200s, nineteen A321-200NX(LR)s, thirteen A330-200s, and two A330-300s. The widebody fleet averages 20.5 and 18.7 years of age, respectively.

Potential for the XLR

Air Transat's only outstanding order is for four A321-200NY(XLR)s, which are scheduled to enter the fleet in late 2027. Ponce believes the aircraft will enable the airline to deepen its presence in thinner transatlantic markets that cannot sustain widebody operations. He described it as the natural evolution of the A321LRs already in the fleet.

Several potential markets are already being evaluated, including Rome Fiumicino and destinations in northern Italy, Central Europe, and North Africa. The executive added that the XLR could also improve the economics of existing routes currently operated by the LR, such as Lima International, where payload restrictions reduce the number of seats that can be sold.

However, all of this remains theoretical, as the performance of the XLR within Air Transat's specific operating environment still needs to be validated.

CH Aviation