Confusion about the alleged sale of the Airbus A220 to Russia instead of the USA

The love between Egypt Air and the Airbus A220 did not last long. Due to problems with the Pratt & Whitney engines,  the airline repeatedly had to ground the regional jets it had purchased to modernize its fleet. And so she decided to get rid of them.

In February, the American leasing company Azorra announced that it would buy the twelve A220-300s from Egypt Air . They are “young, well-maintained aircraft with freshly overhauled and updated Pratt & Whitney engines,” she explained. But now the statement from the airline's top manager is causing confusion.

Handover in the next twelve months

In an interview with the TV channel Asharq Business, Egypt Air Holding boss Yahya Zakaria said that the twelve Airbus A220-300s had been sold to Russia. The first copy will be handed over to Azur Air next month. The rest will follow gradually until March 2025.

Zakaria clarified that the sale was due to the Airbus A220 not being suitable for the climate in Africa. He further explained that the proceeds from the deal will be used to repay the loan to purchase the aircraft. Egypt Air ordered the A220 from Bombardier in 2017, when the model was still called the C-Series CS300.