TUNISIA: Tunisair Discusses Fleet Renewal With Boeing

TUNIS, Tunisia

• Tunisian authorities met a Boeing delegation on 22 October in Tunis during the AeroSTAR programme launch.
• Talks covered civil aviation cooperation, air link expansion and Tunisair fleet development.
• No aircraft orders or acquisition contracts were announced.
• Transport Minister Rachid Amri, US Ambassador Bill Bazzi, and Boeing Middle East and Africa general manager Wael Zaoud attended.
• Tunisair operated 19 aircraft in the first quarter of 2026, of which seven were owned, three under financial lease and nine under long-term lease.
• The majority state-owned carrier's fleet currently includes ten A320ceo, five A320neo, one A319, and two A330-200s (of which one is parked over an engine lease dispute). Its seven 737-600s and three 737-500s are currently mothballed and awaiting disposal.
• The minister called for use of international experience to upgrade airport infrastructure, modernise the fleet, strengthen international routes and develop domestic air transport.
• Tunisair saw a noticeable operational recovery during the first half of 2026, with passenger revenues growing 2.2% year-over-year to TND 724.7 million (USD 242.9 million). This increase was heavily driven by strong performance during the second quarter alone, which brought in TND 393.0 million (USD 131.7 million). This revenue gain mirrors a 3.5% rise in passenger volume, totaling 1,196,899 travelers and pushing the airline's market share up to 22.3%.
• The company's cash reserves surged by 70% to TND 153.0 million (USD 51.3 million) as of June 30, 2026. However, total indebtedness also climbed 22.5% to TND 728.0 million (USD 244.0 million), fueled by new credit lines used to cover a massive spike in fleet maintenance costs, which jumped from TND 15.0 million (USD 5.0 million) to TND 60.0 million (USD 20.1 million).

Sources:

• La Presse
• Il Boursa