Air Corsica grounds five ATR-72s over unexplained cockpit odors

Air Corsica, the airline largely owned by the Collectivité de Corse, announced that five ATR-72-600s delivered between 2022 and 2024 were withdrawn from service as a safety precaution. The decision follows multiple pilot reports of atypical odors, such as burnt-oil scents, inside the flight deck. The airline, which operates a mixed fleet of seven ATR-72s and six Airbus A320s, said the grounding began in mid-September.

To maintain scheduled flights to Marseille, Nice and the island’s four airports, the carrier has temporarily chartered aircraft from Chalair, Air Caraïbes and Amélia. Pierre Muracciole, the president of the board, did not respond to interview requests, and CDC leaders Marie-Hélène Casanova-Servas and Jean-Félix Acquaviva have remained silent on the matter.