Air Austral (UU, St. Denis de la Réunion) has not yet taken delivery of its latest B777-200(LR) F-OLRB (MSN 40993) as it has not been able to finance the last payment to Boeing. As a result of its financial troubles, new general director Marie-Joseph Malé who has joined last month has announced fairly drastic measures in an attempt to cut losses at the carrier. As of the end of October, it will give up its routes to all French airports other than Paris CDG and no longer serve Bordeaux Mérignac, Lyon St. Exupéry, Marseilles, Nantes and Toulouse Blagnac. Instead it will serve Paris CDG twice daily either cooperating with Air France (AF, Paris CDG) and/or French railway operator SNCF to provide connections. Air Austral will already give up its St. Denis de la Réunion-Sydney Kingsford Smith-Nouméa La Tontouta route on August 16 and plans to use one of its two B737-800s on the St. Denis de la Réunion-Bangkok Suvarnabhumi route from October operating via Chennai. The only other remaining long-haul route, a twice daily Paris CDG service, will only require three B777s and it plans to keep a fourth B777 based at CDG for charter and ACMI services. Air Austral currently operates a B777-200(LR) (in addition to F-OLRB), a B777-200 and three B777-300(ER)s. Its other B777-200ER F-OMAY (MSN 29402) has already been parked since the end of April. Air Austral is considering entering into new partnership agreements with Air Madagascar (MD, Antananarivo), Air Mauritius (MK, Mauritius) and Air Seychelles (HM, Mahé) to improve regional connections instead.