Réunion’s Air Austral ends ATR72 operations

Air Austral (UU, St. Denis de la Réunion) has confirmed it has retired its last remaining ATR72-500, F-OMRU (msn 855), a move planned since the Indian Ocean Island carrier first announced the purchase of its three new A220-300s in October 2019.

ch-aviation research reveals the Avions de Transport Régional turboprop will be transferred to United Kingdom regional carrier Loganair (LM, Glasgow Int’l) and has already been assigned G-LMRY on the UK register. According to FlightRadar24 ADS-B-data, it is currently in maintenance at Dinard, France.

In 2019, Air Austral announced it would retire the ATR72-500, as well as its two B737-800s, and replace them with its new A220-300s. The new Airbus (AIB, Toulouse Blagnac) fleet is being used on the regional network.

“It is with this objective that we have integrated the A220 into our fleet. They are intended for the renewal of the medium-haul fleet and replace our ATR and our two Boeing 737-800,” an airline spokesperson confirmed.

According to the ch-aviation fleets advanced module, the Air Austral fleet currently comprises the three in-house A220-300s; the two B737-800s (currently operated on an ACMI basis for EWA Air and Corsair International); three B777-300(ER)s leased from Air Lease Corporation; and two B787-8s, of which one is owned and the other leased from Blackbird Capital.