Croatia Airlines (OU, Zagreb) has leased out one of its three Airbus Industrie (AIB, Toulouse Blagnac) A320-200s, 9A-CTF (cn 258), to Tunisian carrier, Syphax Airlines (FS, Sfax). The A320 replaces SP-ACK (c/n 2645), previously on lease from Poland's Bingo Airways (BGY, Warsaw Chopin).

Syphax Airlines (FS, Sfax) has deployed into active service, an Airbus Industrie (AIB, Toulouse Blagnac) A320-200, SP-ACK (c/n 2645), that it has wet-leased from Poland's Bingo Airways (BGY, Warsaw Chopin). The Tunisian carrier, which is in the process of expanding both its fleet and its network, currently operates two A319-100s with an ex-Emirates (EK, Dubai Int'l) A330-200 due to arrive over the next few weeks.

Syphax Airlines (FS, Sfax) is planning to use its IPO, due later this year, as a means of raising much needed capital to help support the airline's ambitious regional and international expansion plans, company CEO, Mohamed Frikha, has said. With 45.45% of the company up for grabs, Mr Frikha said that the investment was driven by rising confidence in Tunisia's rebounding economy. Once enough capital is raised, the Tunisian carrier plans to launch three weekly flights to the UK departing from Tunis and Sfax, a daily flight to Italy and an "almost" daily flight to Germany, taking it head to head with local rival, Tunisair (TU, Tunis). Twice weekly flights to Jeddah along with flights to Abidjan and Ouagadougou are due in late 2013 with Beijing Capital and even Tokyo Narita a possibility during the course of next year. North American operations will include once weekly flights to Montréal Trudeau and New York JFK with Rio de Janeiro Int'l also on the cards. The fledgling carrier aims to make use of ideal geographic location to become a hub connecting the western hemisphere with the eastern. During the course of this year, Syphax also plans to invest in a Dassault Aviation (Paris Le Bourget) Falcon for use on charter operations.

Syphax Airlines (FS, Sfax) will add an ex-Emirates (EK, Dubai Int'l) A330-200 (c/n 348) to its fleet later this spring ahead of its planned launch of long-haul services. According to Tunisian press reports, Syphax is considering routes to Beijing Capital and Montréal Trudeau from Tunis but no official plans have been made public as of yet.

Syphax Airlines (FS, Sfax) has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Airbus Industrie (AIB, Toulouse Blagnac) for an order of three A320-200s and three A320neos with options for four additional aircraft to be added to the definitive agreement before the order is finalized. Syphax currently operates two A319-100s and recently has announced plans to launch long-haul services with A330-200s. The A320-200s are expected to be delivered from 2015 while the A320neos are not due until 2019.