Air Corsica (XK, Ajaccio) took delivery of its first A320-200neo on December 2, 2019, becoming the first French operator of the type.
F-HXKJ (msn 9392) was handed over to the carrier in a ceremony at Toulouse Blagnac airport but has yet to fly to Corsica, according to ADS-B data. However, the ch-aviation schedules module shows Air Corsica plans to start A320neo revenue operations on January 1, 2020, initially deploying the two units from Ajaccio and Bastia to Paris Orly and Marseilles.
The aircraft is dry-leased from ICBC Financial Leasing for 12 years, seats up to 186 passengers in a single-class layout, and is the first of two that the French carrier will take. The other aircraft, msn 9348, will be delivered by the end of December and will also be dry-leased from ICBC.
Air Corsica will use the A320neo to replace two out of its six A320-200s, namely F-HZFM (msn 5887) and F-HZPG (msn 5906). According to the ch-aviation fleets advanced module, the airline also operates one ATR42-500 and five ATR72-500s.