EgyptAir changes gear and sells on Airbus A220-300

Egypt’s flag-carrier sold the 12 A220-300s, which were only between three and four years old, in February this year to lessor Azorra. The airline initially bought the A220s for its EgyptAir Express regional division, replacing Embraer E170s.

EgyptAir’s experience with the aircraft was less than happy. The first aircraft was delivered in December 2019, but the fleet experienced a significant problem with the combustion chamber of the GTF powerplants.

This was sufficiently serious to require the unscheduled replacement of no fewer than 15 of the 24 engines on the wing within the first two years of their service, according to the then-chairman of EgyptAir Holding Company, captain Amr Abu Elenin, who revealed the problems to Arabian Aerospace magazine at the 2021 Dubai airshow.

EgyptAir’s problems with the engines have been replicated across several airlines, but the harsh operating conditions of the Middle East are thought to have worsened the Egyptian company’s experience.

Florida-based Azorra said it was acquiring the aircraft “to support [EgyptAir’s] ongoing fleet transformation.”

“Our strong partnerships with Airbus and Pratt & Whitney have been key to facilitating this creative transaction,” Azorra founder and CEO, John Evans, said. “These young, well-maintained aircraft with freshly-overhauled, updated engines from Pratt & Whitney have strong market demand and are very attractive to Azorra’s rapidly-growing customer base.”

The reference to the upgraded engines was significant, given EgyptAir’s problems with the powerplants.

Pratt & Whitney said at the time of the initial reports of problems that there had been issues with “early-generation hardware, with upgrades identified to bring them to the latest design standard that will increase durability and time on wing.”

In the February 1 statement, Evans said Azorra’s purchase of the A220s would “provide a fleet transition solution, while clearing the path for new Airbus widebody aircraft.”

Azorra said the addition of the 12 aircraft from EgyptAir complemented the lessor’s existing A220 orderbook, “with the majority already placed with airline customers across the globe.”