Austrian Airlines (OS, Vienna) has announced that as a part of its post-COVID business strategy, it will retire all seven A319-100s and three of six B767-300(ER)s by 2022, in addition to all fourteen Dash 8-400s which were already slated for phase-out.
"We got into this crisis through no fault of our own. Now it is our responsibility to make Austrian Airlines fit for the future after Corona. We want to retain our long-haul hub, even if we have no other choice for the time being but to adapt to the somewhat smaller market. Being fit for the future also means that we must be in a position to finance our aircraft, charges, wages and investments, and of course also to repay any charges and loans from Corona grounding," Chief Executive Alexis von Hoensbroech said.
According to the ch-aviation fleets module, the A319s are 15.4 years old on average and are owned by Austrian Airlines.
The three Boeing widebodies slated for retirement are the three oldest units, OE-LAT (msn 25273), OE-LAW (msn 26417), and OE-LAX (msn 27095). The other three aircraft of the type will remain in the Austrian carrier's fleet. The sub-fleet of six B767s is 24.2 years old on average.
Following the adjustment, Austrian Airlines hopes to operate around 60 aircraft in 2022. Currently, its fleet numbers 84 aircraft: 24 slated for retirement (fourteen Dash 8-400s, seven A319s, and three B767-300(ER)s) and 60 due to stay (twenty-nine A320-200s, three A321-100s, three -200s, three B767-300(ER)s, six B777-200(ER)s, and seventeen E195LRs).
While Austrian Airlines did not state so explicitly, the numbers it provided imply that it will no longer be adding any second-hand A320-200s, as it had planned to previously.
The airline also hopes to reduce the average age of its fleet from the current 15.4 years to 14.6 years following the retirement of its oldest aircraft.
