Airbus Updates No.3705

 Condor Postpones Airbus A330 Launch To February 2022

German airline Condor will delay its Airbus A330 launch due to engine cowling corrosion. The aircraft was all set to fly on Condor’s Frankfurt-Tenerife route on December 15th until a technical inspection discovered the problem. The launch date has now been set back to February 2022.

Condor will postpone its A330 launch until February 2022. Photo: TJDarmstadt via Wikimedia Commons

Corrosion discovered on engine

Condor was due to launch A330 operations in mid-December but has now been forced to postpone until February 2022. The decision was made after a routine C-check on one of its leased A330-200s (registration: D-AIYC) uncovered a corrosion problem.

While a Condor spokesperson declined to comment on where the corrosion was located, aeroTELEGRAPH reports that the corrosion was found on the engine cowling. The aircraft was set to enter service on December 15th to conduct Flight DE1478 from Frankfurt to Tenerife. Condor used an A321 instead to serve this route.

A C-check inspection is usually scheduled every 18-24 months and takes around three weeks to complete. The A330 in question arrived in Dusseldorf on October 30th, giving lessor Avolon six weeks to complete the inspection before its scheduled launch date.

A former Etihad A330-200

The affected aircraft is an A330-200 currently registered as OE-ISR, although under Condor it will be re-registered as D-AIYC. The plane is approaching 13 years old and served under Etihad Airways for over ten years before it was withdrawn from use in 2019.

The A330 flew under Etihad colors for over a decade. Photo: Jonathan Palombo via Wikimedia Commons

The plane has since been in storage for two years before it was flown to Dusseldorf in October. Condor is leasing the aircraft from Irish leasing company Avolon along with three other A330-200s, two of which will come from lessor Altavair Air France. Etihad Airways previously operated all four planes.

A330neo plans disrupted?

As part of its fleet renewal, Condor placed an order for 16 A330-900neos in July. To prepare its crew for A330neo operations, the airline leased four A330-200s which it planned to use until its new A330neos arrive.

Now that the airline has to delay A330 training, Condor’s plans to introduce the A330neo could also be affected. The first A330neo is expected in Autumn 2022 and Condor expects all 16 jets to arrive by January 2024.

It is unclear whether this corrosion issue will affect the delivery of Condor’s other three A330-200s.

Earlier this month, Ralf Teckentrup, CEO of Condor, said,

“In January there will be a second, in April or May numbers three and four will follow.”

Data from ch-aviation shows that the three other A330-200s (D-AIYA, D-AIYB and D-AIYD) were all withdrawn from use in 2019 by Etihad and have been in storage ever since.