Corsair International facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Corsair International

Corsair International Airbus A330-900
Founded	17 May 1981; 44 years ago (1981-05-17) (as Corse Air International)
Operating bases	Orly Airport
Frequent-flyer program	Club Corsair
Fleet size	9
Destinations	14
Parent company	Consortium of West Indian Investors
Headquarters	Rungis, France
Key people	Pascal de Izaguirre (Chairman and CEO).
Revenue	€470,582,300 (2018)

Corsair International is a French airline that flies to many exciting places! Its main base is at Orly Airport in Paris, France. Corsair is known for its long flights to fun vacation spots. These include places in the French overseas territories, Africa, and North America. They also fly special charter flights for groups.

The Story of Corsair International

How the Airline Started

An old Corse Air Sud Aviation Caravelle plane in 1986

A former Corsair Boeing 747-300 landing in 2007

A former Boeing 747-400 with the old Corsairfly paint job in 2008

This airline began in 1981. It was first called Corse Air International. A family from Corsica started it. In 1990, a French travel company bought the airline. Its name then changed to Corsair. A year later, in 1991, the airline was allowed to fly all over the world.

In 2000, a big travel group called TUI Group took over Corsair. In 2004, Corsair planes were painted blue, like other TUI airlines. By 2005, TUI wanted all its airlines to be called TUIfly. So, Corsair planes were briefly called Corsairfly.

For a while, Corsair held a record. Its Boeing 747-400 planes could carry 587 passengers! Later, they changed the inside of the planes. This made the number of seats 533. In 2008, Corsair planned to fly to more places. They wanted to go to the Mediterranean, Canada, and the United States. They even planned to work with Air Canada. They started flying to Miami in 2010. But later, they changed their plans.

Changes and Growth Since 2010

In 2010, Corsairfly announced a big plan. It was called "Takeoff 2012." They decided to use fewer Boeing 747-400 planes. Instead, they got two Airbus A330-300 planes. They also updated the inside of all their planes. Corsair decided to stop offering charter flights. They also stopped flying to some places like Kenya and Israel.

In 2012, the airline changed its name again. It became Corsair International. They also showed off a new look for the airline. In 2015, TUI Group tried to sell Corsair. But the deal did not happen. This was because Corsair's staff unions did not agree with the changes.

By late 2018, TUI Group tried to sell Corsair again. A German company called Intro Aviation bought most of the airline. TUI Group kept a part of it. In 2018, Corsair announced it would stop using its Boeing 747-400 planes by 2021. In 2019, they said they would lease three new Airbus A330-900 planes to replace them.

In April 2020, Corsair stopped using its three Boeing 747-400 planes. This happened sooner than planned because of the COVID-19 crisis. The airline planned to use only Airbus A330 planes. By August 2021, Corsair and Air Austral decided to work together. On March 13, 2024, Corsair received its first of four more Airbus A330-900 planes. This means they will soon have a fleet made only of A330-900s. They are retiring their remaining A330-300 aircraft by the end of 2024.

Where Corsair International Flies

As of August 2024^[update], Corsair International flies to many places. They also used to fly to other cities around the world.

Airline Friends and Partners

Corsair International works with other airlines. This helps passengers connect to more places. Here are some of their partners:

Corsair also partners with easyJet through a program called Worldwide by easyJet. They even work with the French national railway, SNCF. This allows people to combine train and plane travel.

Corsair's Airplanes

A Corsair Airbus A330-900

Planes Corsair Uses Now

As of July 2025^[update], Corsair International uses only Airbus A330 planes.

Planes Corsair Used Before

A former Corsair Airbus A330-300

A former Corsair Airbus A330-200

When Corsair first started, it used smaller planes. These included the Sud Aviation Caravelle and different Boeing 737 models. But in the 1990s, they started focusing only on long-distance flights. So, they began using bigger planes. Here are some of the jet planes Corsair has used over the years:

See also

• List of airlines of France