(Posted 25th July 2022)
Orders by Latam, Delta, EasyJet and Condor have given Airbus a further lead over rivals Boeing for the year 2022.
Delta had last week signed up for a further 12 Airbus A220-300’s at the UK Airshow at Farnborough.
“The A220-300 is economical, efficient and delivers superior performance,” said Mahendra Nair, S.V.P. – Fleet & TechOps Supply Chain at Delta. “These additional aircraft in the A220 Family are an excellent investment for our customers and employees and will be fundamental as we work toward a more sustainable future for air travel.”
“Delta was the U.S. launch customer for the A220 and it is great to announce this incremental order that demonstrates how satisfied it is with the A220, economically and from a passenger perspective,” said Christian Scherer, Airbus Chief Commercial Officer and Head of Airbus International. “On top of that, the versatility of this aircraft with the long range and short airfield performance makes it a real winner for our customers. Thank you Delta for your confidence in further expanding your fleet with all our new generation aircraft!”
EasyJet too ordered additional 56 Airbus A320Neo’s last week:
Kenton Jarvis, CFO for easyJet, said: “We believe this order will support positive returns for the business and the delivery of our strategic objectives. The new aircraft are aligned with easyJet’s sustainability strategy, with the adoption of the more efficient new technology aircraft being a core component of easyJet’s path to net zero emissions. Alongside this, the new aircraft are significantly quieter, with half the noise footprint of the older aircraft they are replacing.”
“EasyJet has democratised flying for millions of travellers and we are delighted this latest agreement for 56 A320neo Family aircraft not only future proofs its growth as traffic rebounds, but also lays the foundations for its sustainability journey“, said Christian Scherer, Chief Commercial Officer and Head of Airbus International.
The airline currently operates a fleet of over 300 A320 Family including the A319, A320ceo, A320neo and A321neo, making it the world’s largest airline operator of Airbus’ single aisle aircraft. EasyJet serves over 130 European airports in some 31 countries operating over 1,000 routes.
Latin American carrier Latam too placed a significant additional order last week.
The airline has ordered 17 A321neo aircraft to further expand their route offering, bringing the airline’s total A320neo order book aircraft to 100. Additionally, the airline has also confirmed to bring in the A321XLR to complement their long haul operations.
“We applaud LATAM’s strategic vision and sustainability ambition. This order for the A321neo on the heels of its restructuring is a strong sign for the value Airbus brings to making this vision and ambition a reality. The A321XLR will enable the opening of new routes and will allow LATAM to increase its international reach in the region” said Christian Scherer, Chief Commercial Officer and Head of Airbus International.
The A321neo is the largest member of Airbus’ A320neo Family, which incorporates new generation engines and Sharklets, delivering more than 20 percent fuel and CO2 savings, as well as a 50 percent noise reduction. The A321XLR version provides a further range extension to 4,700nm, giving the aircraft a flight time of up to 11 hours. Last month, the A321XLR took to the skies for the first time, accomplishing its first test flight successfully.
And earlier today did Condor, the German leisure airline, also confirm an additional order for the Airbus A320Neo.
The agreement will cover 41 aircraft, via lease and via direct purchase. The aircraft will be powered by Pratt & Whitney engines.
“Following Condor’s earlier decision to order the A330neo for its long-haul network, we are double grateful the airline has now also selected the Airbus A320neo Family to modernise its single-aisle-fleet following a thorough evaluation process. We are proud of such a strong vote of confidence and welcome Condor as a future all-Airbus operator,” says Christian Scherer, Chief Commercial Officer and Head of Airbus International.
“After we will have replaced our entire long-haul fleet with state-of-the-art aircraft by the beginning of 2024, it is the logical next step for us to modernize our short- and medium-haul fleet as well. With our new A320neo and A321neo aircraft, we are consistently developing our fleet and ourselves as a company, and also taking care of our own aspiration to enable responsible and at the same time comfortable travel with significantly reduced CO2 emissions, significantly lower fuel consumption and less noise,” says Ralf Teckentrup, CEO of Condor.
By operating the A320neo and A330neo aircraft side by side, Condor will benefit from the commonality economics these two aircraft Families offer. Condor has been operating the A320 for more than 20 years on its network in Europe. The new A320neo fleet will feature the Airbus Airspace Cabin, offering passengers the highest level of comfort.
At the end of June 2022 the A320neo Family had totalled more than 8,100 orders from over 130 customers. Thanks to modern engines and improved aerodynamics, the A320 Family models reduce fuel burn and CO2 emissions by at least 20% compared to its previous generation competitor as well as 50% noise reduction. Since its Entry into Service six years ago, Airbus has delivered over 2,300 A320neo Family aircraft contributing to 15 million tons of CO2 saving.
