Corsair International, Paris

In March 2019 INTRO Aviation acquired the French specialized long-haul carrier Corsair International. After a phase of long-lasting stalemate since 2015 this finally opens the opportunity for the airline to be restructured, modernized and to grow.

INTRO Aviation takes operational control and starts an immediate restructuring and fleet development process:

The Boeing 747-400 fleet were replaced by Airbus A330 family aircraft (A330-900 and -300) in order to harmonize fleet structure, increase productivity, efficiencies and reduce costs. Fleet is expected to grow from 7 aircraft in 2019 to 13 aircraft (A330-900 and -300’s) in 2023.

Further main measures being taken:

  • Introduction of a decisive cost management and transparency program as well as effective process efficiency;

  • Improvement of operational resilience;

  • Strong staff involvement in modernization process;

  • Review and improvement of distribution and ancillary revenue strategy;

  • Improvement of customer relation and disruption management

  • Introduction of extensive business intelligence to achieve utmost transparency to support management decision making;

  • Corsair guaranteed to retain staff and management and place three INTRO Aviation team members in operational positions to manage the restucturing process (Helmut Weixler as Co-CEO, George Lioumpis as CFO and Claus Fischer as Co-CCO);

  • Corsair’s known and well-established brand will remain in place but being modernized in perception as well as the three class on-board product (Business, Premium Economy and Economy);

  • Improvement and modernization of customer touch points (booking, airport, check-in, boarding, in-flight product etc.);

  • Network consolidation by focusing on profitability: developing and increasing frequencies of well performing routes, cutting unprofitable routes and focusing on high volume and high yield routes in the course of fleet growth;

  • Digitization of customer journey at the airport.

As a result of the massive damage caused by Covid-19 pandemic INTRO Aviation strongly supported the efforts to ensure the survival of Corsair International with the support of the French state and a consortium of investors from the French West Indies. In connection with these efforts INTRO Aviation sold its shareholding in Corsair to this consortium effective end of December 2020.