EgyptAir Dumps Entire Airbus A220 Fleet

Paging Sean M

I flew through Cairo twice in recent weeks, the first time in thr middle of December and again in the beginning of January. I was also surprised to see most of their A220 fleet parked at CAI.

That included one A220 in an all white livery. I believe that was the plane they used to operate to Tel Aviv. I thought they had gotten rid of the Air Sinai brand and plain white A220s and repainted them.

Boeing "influencing" this?

Whats the over/under on how long before there is some sort of bribery scandal uncovered to do with aircraft deals at Egyptair?

Could it not be a sale and leaseback to pay down some other debt? Just, that the leaseback hasn't been announced yet?

Their A220 fleet is struggling with PW GTF engine issues that they don't seem to be able (or willing?) to solve. Azorra specialises in deals like this and probably already have something worked out with PW to get them back in the air.

Also, Egyptair did the same thing with their Embraer fleet a few years ago. One day they pretty much decided that they wanted a new toy instead, so they parked them and left them to collect dust in Cairo for years. It is only recently that those have begun to be remarketed.

I can't give out full details, but another A220 airline was considering taking multiple examples in for summer season (and even beyond), however they discovered massive corrosion in these ex-Egyptair planes and idea was dropped. It is bit hard to believe, considering that weather in Egypt are very well suited for long term aircraft storage but here we are lol. Let's hope whoever takes those planes in will be able to fix them up.

Not a big surprise here. These planes have been packed for a very long time. They’re apparently the same issues that Air Tanzania and Air Senegal were having with their A220s - sth about performance issues at high temperatures/ humidity. Air Senegal already returned theirs.

Countries like Egypt don't really know what maintenance is. So no surprise there.... they do it if they really have to. Long haul planes are too expensive so they do maintenance, this one is relatively cheap....

This isn't a sale leaseback?

Way for EgyptAirto get some liquidity to try to get better financing terms for acquisitions of other planes?

Wow, that's telling it like it is....

Wasn’t there rumblings about sand and sea air causing issues with these new turbo gear engines.
This sounds familiar like the Rolls-Royce RB211 issues of the early 70’s.
Anyway, opportunity for Delta, Qantas, or JetBlue to pick up a low mileage airframe at a reasonable leasing rate, especially since these are the 300 series.

This could be a Sale-and-Lease-Back Agreement where the airline sells the aircraft to a leasing company and leases them right back. Airlines often do it to get some cash for further investments. Lufthansa just did that with 12 of their A320s.

I think I have read on some aviation websites that the A220s were not performing too well in hot weather conditions, and that was one of the reasons MS parked the A220s, apart from the engine issues. Other carriers from the region have also reported similar performance issues.

Air Senegal used engine issues as an excuse to get out of a contract they realised they couldn't afford anyway because the airline was effectively bankrupt after barely 2 years in operation. So not the best example.

The joys of Government owned Airlines!

EgyptAir is selling the family silver.
Egypt is undergoing a major economic crisis and is facing serious hard currency shortages.
Until 2021, the 1 USD was around 15 EGP. The government devalued the Egyptian pound last year, and is expected to do so in the coming next days. Currently, the official rate is still 30.95 to the USD but the black market rate is hitting 72 EGP. Anything that can bring in much needed hard currency, like selling under utilised planes, is not surprising.

EgyptAir is selling the family silver.
Egypt is undergoing a major economic crisis and is facing serious hard currency shortages.
Until 2021, the 1 USD was around 15 EGP. The government devalued the Egyptian pound last year, and is expected to do so in the coming next days. Currently, the official rate is still 30.95 to the USD but the black market rate is hitting 72 EGP. Anything that can bring in much needed hard currency, like selling under utilised planes, is not surprising.

Indeed

corruption, a corrupt army runs the country and they can sell their mothers for a buck, that's all I can think of.

2-3 layout is a selling point? This is not 1964. Let the DC-9 die.

GTF engine problems is the bottom line .. IMO
… why they be getting rid of the A220…
Hopefully Delta can pick them up for cheap

you clearly have never flown on an A220 which makes a DC9 or any version of it die.
If you think that sitting in one of TWO groups of 3 seats is something of valor, you would be in a very small minority.

I've flown EgyptAir 220s multiple times in the last two years and it's been a very pleasant experience. Much more so than their aging 737 fleet - seats, overall cabin feeling, 2-3 vs 3-3; it's a pity if they are really dropping them.

Recently in Egypt. Lots of news about the huge debt accumulation by the govt.
Building a new city east of Cairo, with Chinese building the tallest building on the African continent.
Middle East money coming in by the load.
Many new homes built, no one in them.
Sounds a bit like China.

Egypt has 70% poor. Sure hope and pray this country gets better and raises the people out of poverty.

We Love Egypt.

I was due to fly on one of MS's A220s last November - my first flight on the type - only to find that we got swapped out for a grubby, white-tailed 737.

Aircraft procurement and disposition can be a goldmine for padding the pockets of the corrupt.

The airline management have little incentive to care. But if they did care, they seems to be nowhere close to being the brightest tools in the toolbox by having let so much money sit idle locked up in parked assets which could have freed up or even generated hard currency by having done this kind of sale thing earlier or even perhaps gotten into leasing out or even aimed for wet-leasing their planes. The country is awash in very cheap labor and its hard currency needs are great and even greater now with regional politico-economic disruptions.

Word is, A220 is not performing well in the region due to environmental conditions and Egyptair got fed up. Egyptair made a deal with Airbus (hence the creative transaction) to purchase A350s at the dubai airshow and Airbus taking back the A220s.

Air Canada

The CEO of EgyptAir recently made a comment explaining that they are getting rid of their A220s because they aren't suitable to the environment in the region. So that explains why they are dumping these new fuel efficient aircraft while ordering other new airframes, and also likely why the airline has already parked much of the A220 fleet.

It seems the aircraft will be transferred to Azur Air in Russia.