Tunisair leases Airbus A340-300 amid operational challenges

This isn't Tunisair's first foray into wet-leasing; they have previously chartered a Boeing 767 from EuroAtlantic and both a Boeing 777 and an Airbus A330 from Privilege Style. The move towards ACMI leasing comes as Tunisair faces operational challenges alongside financial scrutiny. An investigation into these issues by the local government could lead to a rescue package.

Cirium data indicates that the A340 will be active on routes through June and July, primarily serving Montreal Trudeau (YUL), Jeddah (JED), and Paris Orly (ORY) with a total of 58 flights planned—differing from those reported by travelnews.africa.

The history of D-AUSC dates back to December 2004 when it first flew under French registration F-WWJB. Initially delivered to South African Airways in March 2005 as ZS-SXE, it later served Jet Airways in India before returning to South African Airways. After being stored during the COVID-19 pandemic, Universal Sky Carrier acquired it in February 2023.

Tunisair's own Airbus A330 fleet does not offer fully lie-flat seating; however, passengers on the Universal Sky Carrier-operated A340 can enjoy fully flat positions at 180 degrees.

Founded in 1948 as Société Tunisienne de l'Air in partnership with Air France and others, Tunisair now has codeshare agreements with Emirates, Middle East Airlines, Royal Jordanian, among others. Its fleet consists of various Airbus models used for direct flights between Tunisia and France as well as other destinations including Montreal.

Statistics Canada notes a significant Tunisian community in Montreal. Although there were plans for direct services to New York and Washington DC last year, these have yet to materialize.