Volotea is preparing to cut its Airbus-only fleet from 44 aircraft to 30-35 as part of a wider cost-cutting and debt-restructuring plan centred on its Barcelona operations. The Spanish low-cost carrier is also planning to eliminate about 50 jobs at its Barcelona headquarters while it negotiates a long-term financing package with creditors, including SEPI, banks and lessors.
The carrier links the restructuring to sharply higher fuel costs, which it says have added about EUR 150 million in pressure. Flight schedules and ticket sales are continuing normally for now, and the company expects to reach an agreement by December. The fleet reduction appears aimed at securing continuity and long-term viability rather than an immediate network shutdown, though the exact aircraft retirements have not been disclosed.
Volotea’s operation has remained focused on Airbus narrowbodies, mainly A320-family aircraft, with a strong presence in regional European markets, including Italy and several German routes. The financing talks also point to a broader balance-sheet reset, but the final structure of the debt package and any follow-on base or route changes remain unclear.