Air France has extended scheduled Airbus A318 operations into early November 2026, giving the smallest member of the A320 family another short reprieve as its retirement approaches.
According to AeroRoutes, the aircraft is scheduled to operate on more than 20 European routes between October 25 and November 8, including Amsterdam, Barcelona, Berlin, Copenhagen, Dublin, Lisbon, Madrid, Milan, Munich, Nice, Rome and Warsaw.
Related news
August 10, 2026
The extension does not appear to signal a change in Air France's fleet strategy. The airline has repeatedly said its fleet of 60 Airbus A220-300s will replace the A318s and A319s to reduce operating costs and improve fuel efficiency.
Air France currently operates four A318s, each configured with 131 all-economy seats and averaging nearly 20 years of service. At the same time, the carrier has already taken delivery of 58 A220-300s, leaving just two aircraft outstanding from its original order for 60.
The A318 was Airbus' least successful member of the A320 family. Only 80 aircraft were built before production ended, far fewer than the A319, A320 and A321. Today, Air France is the last airline operating the type on scheduled passenger flights.
Follow Air Data News: WhatsApp | Instagram | LinkedIn | Twitter | Facebook
Outside commercial aviation, the A318 remains in service almost exclusively as the Airbus Corporate Jet (ACJ318). Roughly 18 examples continue to fly as government or VIP transports, leaving Air France's four aircraft as the only remaining scheduled passenger A318s in the world.
