Air Austral reaffirms its selection of engine alliance GP7200 engines and fleet management agreement
17-Nov-2009 Air Austral has reaffirmed its selection of the Engine Alliance GP7200 engines to power its two Airbus A380 aircraft and its selection of the Engine Alliance as its service provider to maintain, repair and overhaul the engines with a 10-year Fleet Management Agreement.
This affirmation coincides with Air Austral's formal announcement today that it has finalized an agreement with Airbus to purchase two A380 aircraft. The engine selection and Fleet Management Agreement were announced at the 2009 Paris Air Show. The total value of the deal is worth $240M (USD) at list prices.
Based in Saint Denis, La Reunion, Air Austral has provided service over the Indian Ocean since 1975. The airline flies to nearby Indian Ocean islands as well as locations in France, Australia, South Africa and Thailand. In January, Air Austral announced plans to have its new A380 aircraft operated in a single, economy class configuration on its high-density route from La Reunion to Paris, France, through a subsidiary airline working under a "low-cost" model.
"Air Austral's use of the A380 in a high density configuration demonstrates the flexibility of the A380," Engine Alliance President Jim Moravecek said. "We're delighted they've chosen our fuel efficient GP7200 engines to help them increase the value of this remarkable aircraft."