- According to local media, Azul's Airbus A350s might be removed from the fleet this year.
- Azul began to operate its A350s on international routes in December, 2022.
- Recent updates from Planespotters suggest that two A350 jets initially prepared for Azul might be transferred to Spain's Iberia.
The journey of the Airbus A350 XWB within Azul's fleet is rumored to be brief, with speculations suggesting its exit as early as this year. Initially ordered in 2016, the order was suspended in 2017, as revealed by local aviation news portal AEROIN at the time. Consequently, Azul's units were transferred to Hong Kong Airlines, a subsidiary of China's HNA Group, which was then a significant stakeholder in the Brazilian company.
Due to internal issues at HNA coupled with the pandemic, the Chinese company returned the jets. Subsequently, Azul decided to operate them and received the first aircraft in September of the previous year.
The aircraft underwent several months of testing and crew training at Brazilian airports in Viracopos, Campinas, and Salgado Filho in Porto Alegre. It debuted on international routes in December, flying to Orlando and later being relocated to a new route to Paris.
However, insiders have informed AEROIN that the company currently views the aircraft as a high-maintenance cost. This sentiment was previously echoed by the YouTube channel "Viajando com o Luiz," suggesting Azul might soon part with the A350.
As per the most recent inventory update on Planespotters, a website updated by enthusiasts globally, the A350 jets with factory serial numbers MSN187 and MSN 153, intended for Azul registrations PR-AOX and PR-AOZ, are now listed as transferred to Iberia, Spain.
These aircraft were indeed being prepped for Azul, but there has been no recent news about them.
When approached for comments on the matter, Azul responded, "We are always looking at fleet opportunities, and any changes will be announced at an appropriate time." The company neither confirmed nor denied the rumors, opting for a standardized response.