Tunisia’s national carrier, Tunisair, is grappling with a deepening crisis, marked by sweeping flight delays, cancellations, and mounting public frustration—forcing the government to dismiss the airline’s CEO and demand immediate reforms.
The airline, once considered a regional pillar of North African aviation, has come under intense scrutiny during the busy summer travel season.
Passengers have reported delays of up to 24 hours with little to no explanation, while technical mishaps and scheduling chaos have become commonplace.
In response to the growing backlash, Tunisian authorities have taken urgent steps.
The Ministry of Transport issued what it described as a “severe” warning to Tunisair’s station managers and overseas representatives, demanding swift action to restore operational order.
According to La Presse de Tunisie, internal directives include staff redeployment, rescheduling of flights, and the intensification of technical oversight.
Still, critics argue that these are surface-level fixes to a much deeper problem.
Former Employment Minister Faouzi Ben Abderrahmane condemned what he called “talkative inaction” from government officials, urging a full-scale structural overhaul of the state-owned carrier.
“Without real reform, these problems will return every season,” he warned in comments reported by Business News.
Data published by Le360 Afrique reveals that Tunisair’s punctuality rate plummeted to just 48% in June 2025—placing it among the worst-performing carriers in the region.
A separate report by AirHelp ranked the airline among the worst globally for service quality and complaint resolution.
Financial instability continues to compound the crisis.
Kapitalis reports that by the end of 2023, Tunisair’s debt had ballooned past 760 million dinars, while available cash reserves hovered at just 117 million.
Fixed costs, including 177 million dinars in aircraft leases and nearly 40 million in financial charges, continue to weigh heavily on the carrier’s bottom line.
Despite an average load factor of 75.1% between October 2024 and March 2025, the airline remains unable to offset its rising expenses.
Analysts say years of underinvestment, labor unrest, and governance shortcomings have eroded its competitiveness.
As public outrage grows and Tunisia’s tourism sector faces reputational damage, the government is under mounting pressure to deliver meaningful change.
The dismissal of Tunisair’s CEO is being seen as a signal of intent—but observers warn it may be too late to steer the carrier out of long-term turbulence without comprehensive reforms.
For now, Tunisair’s future remains clouded in uncertainty—grounded not by storms in the sky, but by crisis on the ground.
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