Tag Archives: A321neo

Airbus officially launches the Airbus A321neo with a MOU from Air Lease Corporation

Airbus (Toulouse) has officially launched the A321neo with 97 ton Maximum Take Off Weight (MTOW) having secured the first commitment from Air Lease Corporation (ALC). The Los Angeles based lessor signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) for 30 more A321neo, upsizing its commitments at the 2014 Farnborough Airshow from 60 to 90 and becoming the launch customer for Airbus’ increased range option.

According to Airbus, “The A321neo 97 ton version will have, with 4,000 nm, the longest range of any single aisle airliner available today and tomorrow, making it ideally suited to trans-Atlantic routes and will allow airlines to tap into new long haul markets which were not previously accessible with current single aisle aircraft.”

Under the assumption that ALC’s MOUs for 30 A321neo aircraft plus 25 A330neo Family become firm orders, ALC’s total orders for Airbus aircraft would stand at 258 (53 A320ceo Family, 140 A320neo Family, 15 A330 Family, 25 A350 XWB Family and 25 A330neo Family).

According to Airbus, “The A321 97 ton variant is building on the continued innovations brought to the A320 Family with Airbus Cabin-Flex (ACF), which offers passengers the highest standards of comfort while providing great flexibility and profit optimization to airlines. Thanks to an additional fuel tank in the forward underfloor hold of the aircraft, as well as minor improvements on the wing and fuselage, the A321neo 97t will be able to fly 206 passengers on longer routes of up to 4,000 nm in a comfortable two-class layout. First deliveries will have started by 2019.

The newest member of the best-selling A320 Family, the A320neo, incorporates new generation engines and Sharklets which together will deliver 20 percent in fuel savings by 2020. At the end of December 2014, firm orders for the NEO reached over 3,600 aircraft from 70 customers.”

Image: Airbus.

Randy Tinseth of Boeing counters Airbus’ claim the A321neo is a Boeing 757 replacement

Randy Tinseth, the vice president of marketing for the Boeing Commercial Airplanes in Seattle responded to claims airline customers are still waiting for a true Boeing 757 replacement. Randy also countered Airbus’ claims the proposed A321neo is a 757 replacement.

Randy wrote the following on his Randy’s Journal:

There’s been a lot of talk lately about a replacement for the 757. The fact is, today’s 737 and other airplanes its size already fly 90 percent of flights that used to be operated with a 757. And in the future, that number will jump to 95 percent thanks to airplanes like the 737 MAX.

For example, take Norwegian. They recently announced plans to use the 737 MAX 8 on transatlantic routes beginning in 2017. Other large 757 operators have publicly noted their continued discussions with Boeing around airplanes for trans-Atlantic missions.

Meanwhile, Airbus claims its proposed long ranger version of the A321neo is a true 757 replacement. In reality, it falls short in two big ways. It can’t match the 757’s range, and it can’t carry as many passengers.

The 737 MAX 9 and the A321neoLR are both capable of North Atlantic range by adding auxiliary tanks, with the 737 MAX 9 flying the mission more efficiently. The A321neoLR needs three auxiliary tanks and increased takeoff weight— while the 737 MAX 9 could do the mission with just one auxiliary tank, allowing for more cargo space.

The 737 MAX is a great airplane that’s sized right for the heart of the single-aisle market— along with the right range capabilities. It’s a key part of our overall product development strategy, that along with the 777X and 787-10, is set for the next decade.

As for that space in between the upper end of the 737 and the 787-8, we continue to talk with our customers to better understand their needs in the future.

Image: Boeing. The Boeing 737 MAX 8 and MAX 9.

ANA firms up an order for 7 Airbus A320neo and 23 A321neo aircraft

ANA Holdings (All Nippon Airways-ANA) (Tokyo) has firmed up an order for 30 A320neo Family aircraft (seven A320neo and 23 A321neo). The initial agreement was announced in March 2014. The aircraft will be part of ANA Holdings fleet development and modernisation strategy to replace its existing single-aisle fleet in the coming years.

Deliveries will start from 2016.

Japanese Aero Engines Corporation (JAEC) is a 23% collaboration partner in PW1100G-JM program. JAEC is responsible for development, manufacturing and engineering support of the fan, low-pressure compressor, combustor, and low-pressure shafts. JAEC is a consortium, consisting of three Japanese companies: IHI (65%), Kawasaki Heavy Industries (25%), and Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (10%).

The assembly of Airbus’ first A320neo has been completed following painting of the aircraft and the mounting of PW1100G-JM engines. It will soon start ground tests to prepare for first flight. The flight test campaign for the A320neo will kick-off in Q3 2014, paving the way for Entry Into Service in Q4 2015.

The A320neo – for “new engine option” – incorporates many innovations, including latest generation engines and large Sharklet wing-tip devices, which together deliver 15 percent in fuel savings and a reduction of 3,600 tonnes of C02 per aircraft per year. With a total of more than 3,000 orders received from more than 50 customers since its launch in 2010, the A320neo Family has captured over 60 percent of the market, clearly demonstrating its leadership.

Image: Airbus.

ANA:

Hong Kong Aviation Capital orders 40 Airbus A320neo and 30 A321neo aircraft

Hong Kong Aviation Capital (HKAC) (Hong Kong) has signed a firm order with Airbus for a total of 70 A320neo Family aircraft (40 A320neo and 30 A321neo)

The contract was finalized at the 2014 Farnborough Airshow by Donal Boylan, CEO of HKAC and John Leahy, Airbus Chief Operating Officer, Customers. The agreement follows the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) signed at the 2013 Paris Air Show.

HKAC currently has a portfolio of over 50 single and twin aisle Airbus aircraft. It provides financing leasing services to several airlines in Asia and worldwide. This is HKAC’s first direct order with any aircraft manufacturer.

Airbus to offer high-density seating for the A320 and A321

Airbus (Toulouse), in appealing to ultra low-fare carriers where the number of seats that can be sold is important, is now offering a high-density configuration version for the A320neo/A320ceo of 189 seats and 240 seats for the A321neo. Airbus issued this statement:

In offering even more efficiency for airline operators, Airbus is increasing seating capacity for A320neo (new engine option) and A320ceo (current engine option) jetliners to 189 seats, while also adding 20 more seats for A321neo aircraft to accommodate 240 passengers in an efficient high-density, all-economy layout.

“We are supporting the higher seat count with intelligent means to give living space to passengers,” said Klaus Roewe, Airbus’ Senior Vice President – A320neo Programme. “These new A320 Family configurations do not compromise on comfort, as they retain the Airbus standard of 18-inch wide seats in economy.”

To raise the A320’s capacity to 189 seats, Airbus has worked with airworthiness authorities to certify increased exit limits for the forward and aft doors on this version of the aircraft, taking advantage of exits that are significantly larger than the Type C requirements they were originally certified to. Also incorporated are wider evacuation slides or slide/rafts.

For the A321neo, the use of state-of-the-art slim-line seats and a new exit door arrangement – along with the optimized “Space-Flex” rear cabin galley configuration and Smart-Lavatory design – will increase this stretched fuselage jetliner version’s passenger capacity to 240 passengers, all while retaining Airbus’ 18-inch wide seat standard for economy travellers.

Roewe explained that six or more seats are added by using the new exit door arrangement, which eliminates Door 2 and the first cross-aisle in the fuselage’s forward section, while also incorporating a new double over-wing exit and shifting Door 3 aft-ward by four frames – thereby reducing the area necessary to accommodate emergency exit rows in the aircraft.

“If you add this up, it results in an approximately six per cent fuel burn per seat reduction – only by incorporating more seats in the A321neo aircraft,” Roewe added.

Image: Airbus.

Poll:

Air New Zealand orders 14 new Airbus aircraft, the first Boeing 787-9 completes its first flight

Air New Zealand (Auckland) has announced it has placed an order for 10 Airbus A320neo aircraft (above), one A320ceo and three A321neo aircraft (above, image via Airbus). The signing ceremony took place at the IATA annual meeting today in Doha, Qatar.

In other news, on May 29 Air New Zealand’s first Boeing 787-9 (ZK-NZE) (above) took to the air for the first time, successfully completing its first production test flight in the skies above Seattle, Washington.

Copyright Photo: Daniel Gorun/AirlinersGallery.com. Boeing 787-9 ZK-NZE (msn 34334) taxies at Paine Field near Everett, WA.

The aircraft, which is in Air New Zealand’s signature black livery, is currently in the final phases of the delivery process before being formally handed over to the airline as the new owner.

Air New Zealand is the launch customer for the Boeing 787-9 and has 10 of these stretch versions of the 787 on order.

This first test flight is known as a B1 flight where the two pilots put the aircraft through its paces thoroughly exercising its systems to verify performance while at the same time the functionality of every aspect of the cabin is tested in-flight.

The distinctive black aircraft departed from Paine Field airport north of Seattle at 1:45 pm (1345) local time. It reached an altitude of 11,800 meters (39,000 feet) and an airspeed of 360 knots which is standard for a B1 flight and returned to Paine Field three hours and ten minutes later.

Air New Zealand:

Hawaiian signs a contract for 16 new Airbus A321neo aircraft

Hawaiian Airlines (Honolulu), having reached key labor agreements with its pilot and flight attendant unions on the introduction of new aircraft, today announced that it has signed a definitive purchase agreement with Airbus to acquire 16 new A321neo aircraft between 2017 and 2020, with rights to purchase an additional nine aircraft.

The transaction, which finalizes the Memorandum of Understanding announced in January, is the latest step in Hawaiian’s phased fleet plan designed to supplement its current wide-body fleet of 26 aircraft, expand its long-range fleet, and enable it to open new domestic and international nonstop services to Hawaii. The long-range, single-aisle A321neo will complement Hawaiian’s existing fleet of wide-body, twin-aisle aircraft used for long-haul flying between Hawai’i and the U.S. West Coast.

Terms of the purchase agreements were not disclosed. The order has a combined list-price value of approximately $2.8 billion if all purchase rights are exercised.

Hawaiian’s A321neo aircraft will seat approximately 190 passengers in a two-class configuration (First and Coach) and have an operating range of 3,650 nautical miles. Hawaiian’s A321s will offer the more comfortable seat widths found in its twin-aisle A330s.

The A321 fleet expansion is expected to generate roughly 1,000 additional jobs at Hawaiian.

Hawaiian currently operates a fleet of 44 aircraft, comprised of 26 wide-body, long-haul aircraft (294-seat Airbus A330-200 aircraft and 264-seat Boeing 767-300 ER aircraft), and 18 narrow-body 123-seat Boeing 717-200 aircraft for Neighbor Island flights.

Hawaiian’s existing aircraft orders include an additional 12 new A330s between 2013 and 2015, and six next-generation, longer-range A350XWB-800 aircraft starting in 2017. The existing fleet of 16 Boeing 767s will phase out over the next 10 years.

Image: Airbus.

Hawaiian Airlines:

MEA signs a firm contract for 5 Airbus A320neo and 5 A321neo aircraft

Middle East Airlines-Air Liban (MEA) (Beirut), the flag carrier of Lebanon, has signed a firm contract for ten A320neo Family aircraft (five A321neo and five A320neo aircraft). This follows the signing of a memorandum of understanding (MOU) which was announced on July 12, 2012.

Image: Airbus.

MEA-Middle East Airlines:

Hawaiian Airlines to acquire 16 Airbus A321neo aircraft to open up new markets

Hawaiian Airlines (Honolulu) today announced the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with airframe manufacturer Airbus to acquire 16 new A321neo aircraft between 2017 and 2020, with rights to purchase an additional nine aircraft.

The long-range, single-aisle aircraft will complement Hawaiian’s existing fleet of wide-body, twin-aisle aircraft used for long-haul flying between Hawai’i and the U.S. West Coast.

“Everyone at Hawaiian wants us to keep our position as the market leader in service quality, cost efficiency and choice of destinations. Ordering the A321neo will secure this legacy on routes to the U.S. West Coast beyond the middle of this decade,” said Mark Dunkerley, president and CEO of Hawaiian Airlines. “The A321neo will be the most fuel-efficient aircraft of its type after its introduction in 2016. With its slightly smaller size we’ll be able to open new markets that are not viable for wide-body service, while also being able to augment service on existing routes to the West Coast of North America.”

At 146-feet-long, the A321neo will seat approximately 190 passengers in a two-class configuration (First and Coach) and has a range of 3,650 nautical miles. The aircraft will offer the more comfortable seat widths found in the twin-aisle Airbus A330. Terms of the agreement were not disclosed, however, the aircraft have a total list-price value of approximately $2.8 billion if all of the purchase rights are exercised.

The new acquisitions are also contingent upon Hawaiian signing new agreements with its pilots and flight attendant unions covering operation of the new aircraft type. If new agreements are reached, the fleet expansion is expected to generate roughly 1,000 additional jobs at Hawaiian.

“This is a significant investment in the future of both Hawaiian and Hawai’i. Our tourism-based economy and local employment will benefit as we continue our strategy of diversifying our business while improving the efficiency of our operation,” Dunkerley commented.

“We have come to think of Hawaiian Airlines as ‘ohana’ (family) and are very pleased to add yet another branch to our tree with this pending expansion of the Hawaiian Airbus fleet,” said John Leahy, Airbus chief operating officer, customers. “Hawaiian has gotten great results with their A330s. The passengers, the employees and the accountants for the airline all recognize the advantages of Airbus aircraft, and now they will benefit even further by flying the most popular single-aisle family in the sky.”

Hawaiian currently operates a fleet of 43 aircraft, comprised of 25 wide-body, long-haul aircraft (294-seat Airbus A330-200 aircraft and 264-seat Boeing 767-300 ER aircraft), and 18 narrow-body 123-seat Boeing 717-200 aircraft for Neighbor Island flights.

Hawaiian’s existing orders include an additional 13 new A330s between 2013 and 2015, and six next-generation, longer-range A350XWB-800 aircraft starting in 2017. The existing fleet of 16 Boeing 767s will phase out over the next 10 years.

Image: Hawaiian Airlines.

Hawaiian Airlines:

Pegasus Airlines switches to Airbus with a large order

Pegasus Airlines (flypgs.com) (Istanbul) is switching from Boeing to Airbus.

Pegasus Airlines, the second largest airline in Turkey, has signed for up to 100 A320neo Family aircraft (57 A320neo and 18 A321neo models), of which 75 are firm orders. Pegasus becomes a new Airbus customer and the first Turkish airline to order the A320neo.

This is the largest single commercial aircraft order ever placed by an airline in Turkey, and was announced today at a ceremony attended by Binali Yıldırım, the Turkish Minister of Transport, Maritime Affairs and Communication, Ali Sabanci, Chairman of Pegasus, Sertac Haybat, CEO of Pegasus and Christopher Buckley, Airbus Executive Vice President Europe, Asia and Pacific.

Pegasus’ new aircraft will be configured in a comfortable all economy layout with 180 seats in the A320neo and 220 seats in the A321neo. They will be deployed on Pegasus’ rapidly expanding network from Istanbul to destinations in Turkey, Europe and the Middle East.

Image: Airbus.

Pegasus Airlines: