Corsair's first A330neo in Reunion, the 27th from.
Pascal de Izaguirre, the CEO of Corsair, came in person to present the first A330neo (new engine option) in its colors posted online on Paris-Réunion, the 27th from. The company had started the renewal of its fleet a month earlier, by welcoming a first new generation Airbus. Three more will follow, until next year. To this date, Corsair's nine aircraft will all be A330s, including five “neo”. These new devices give great commercial arguments to the company saved from bankruptcy a few months ago by a consortium of overseas shareholders., with the support of the State and the goodwill of its former owner, the German group TUI.
They have all the advantages of the latest generation aircraft : silent cabin, giant entertainment offer, wi-fi… This is also the version with the most powerful engine, with a maximum takeoff weight of 251 tonnes, which allows you to carry on average 10 tonnes more cargo than in the holds of older A330s.
They have been configured with 20 seats in Business classes and 21 in Premium, with armchairs designed to appeal to high-contribution customers. Above all, they consume 25% less fuel, per seat, compared to previous generation competing devices : enough to offer offensive prices, with a view to recovery.
Without waiting for confirmation of the lifting of compelling reasons to travel, Corsair has decided to open, as announced last year, two weekly flights between Lyon, Marseille, Reunion and Mayotte from June 21. Furthermore, it will ensure four rotations per week between Reunion and Mayotte, as an extension of its long-haul flights, during the high season of the southern winter.
Resolutely optimistic, Pascal de Izaguirre also announced the project to create a base of commercial cabin crew in Reunion, by the end of 2022. “Several dozen” hostesses and stewards could thus serve on board Corsair planes while residing on the island. The CEO, however, reiterated his concerns about the upcoming high season, with a health crisis that drags on in Reunion and constraints (vaccination, negative tests, compelling reasons…) which could dissuade metropolitan customers from flying to the Indian Ocean. Pascal de Izaguirre, like many of its French counterparts, also expresses concern about Air France's overseas flight program in the coming months, with an offer increasing “by 50% in Reunion”, of “60% on the Antilles”. “The massive injection of public funds from which Air France benefits must not result in a distortion of competition”, he repeated on May 27 to Gillot.
