Air Austral, the airline based on the island of Réunion in the Indian Ocean, has announced that it will retire its entire fleet of Airbus A220-300 aircraft due to persistent Pratt & Whitney GTF engine issues, according to a report by La Tribune.
The airline reportedly plans to operate the A220 only until the summer of 2026 while negotiating the retirement with Airbus. Air Austral currently operates three A220-300s with an average age of 4.5 years. All are equipped with Pratt & Whitney PW1000G engines. According to the report, at least two of the three aircraft have been affected by engine problems this year.
Average Of 1.75 A220s Over The Year
The Airbus A220 was originally intended to serve as the backbone of Air Austral’s regional and medium-haul operations. Indeed, Air Austral marked a milestone in July 2021 when it became the first airline in the Indian Ocean basin to operate the Airbus A220, taking delivery of its first aircraft that month. However, ongoing issues with the Pratt & Whitney GTF engines prevented the airline from fully deploying the fleet.
La Tribune reported that two of the three aircraft were grounded, one for an extended period and another withdrawn from service as early as September 2025. As a result, Air Austral was forced to cancel some of its flights and revise its route network schedule. According to Chairman Hugues Marchessaux, the airline effectively had an average of just 1.75 aircraft available throughout the year. Speaking at the IFTM Top Resa trade show, Marchessaux explained:
“Given the technical problems we are experiencing with this medium-haul fleet, we believe we have no other choice – and it is a forced choice – than to try to evolve towards a new module in order to stabilize the company.”
Air Austral Eyes New Jet To Restore Medium-Haul Fleet
The carrier is now looking to replace its Airbus A220-300 fleet with either Boeing 737 MAX 8s or Airbus A320neo narrowbody aircraft. However, according to the report, Air Austral will not be able to retire the A220s before the summer of 2026 due to ongoing legal issues. The Reunion Island carrier said that it is working with Airbus and Pratt & Whitney to find the most suitable solutions.
Air Austral operates both medium-haul and long-haul networks. For regional and medium-haul routes, the carrier deploys Airbus A220-300s and a single ATR 72-600 turboprop. Its long-haul fleet consists of three Boeing 777-300ERs, two Boeing 787-8s, and one wet-leased Airbus A330-200, as per ch-aviation data.
A final decision between the Airbus A320neo and Boeing 737 MAX 8 models has not yet been made. With the airline under pressure to quickly restore reliability to its schedule, aircraft availability is expected to play a decisive role in the selection. The carrier offers flights across the Indian Ocean, Africa, Europe, and the Asia-Pacific region. Destinations include France, Mauritius, Tanzania, Thailand, India, South Africa, China, among other countries and cities.
Issues Affecting PW1000G Engines
The Pratt & Whitney PW1000G engines are facing challenges due to a manufacturing defect involving contaminated powdered metal in high-pressure turbine and compressor components. This issue has led to widespread inspections and repairs, grounding hundreds of aircraft and causing significant operational disruptions expected to continue through 2026.
Engines operating in harsh environments like hot, humid, or sandy regions have experienced accelerated wear, leading to more frequent maintenance and unscheduled removals. Pratt & Whitney’s maintenance network is under strain, working to expand capacity to handle the backlog of repairs and reduce aircraft downtime.
These problems have caused financial strain on airlines, with some reporting significant profit drops due to grounded fleets. Additionally, strikes by Pratt & Whitney workers in May 2025 have likely further delayed production and repairs, extending the timeline for full recovery, which is anticipated in the coming years.