Tag Archives: Airbus A321neo

Cebu Pacific takes delivery of its first Airbus A321neo

Cebu Pacific, the largest low-cost carrier in the Philippines has taken delivery of its first Airbus A321neo.

The new addition complements the Manila-based airline’s Airbus fleet, which currently includes 43 A320 Family aircraft and eight A330-300 widebodies.

Cebu Pacific has ordered 32 A321neo aircraft directly from Airbus, and will receive another five A320neo leased from Dublin-based Avolon. These will support the carrier’s expansion and fleet renewal program.

The A321neo aircraft for Cebu Pacific features 236 seats in a single class configuration. The aircraft is powered by Pratt and Whitney PurePower GTF engines.

The A320neo and its derivative aircraft family members are the world’s best-selling single aisle aircraft with over 6,100 orders from over 100 customers since its launch in 2010. It has pioneered and incorporated the latest technologies, including its new generation engines and the industry’s reference cabin design, delivering 20 percent fuel cost savings alone. The A320neo also offers significant environmental benefits with nearly 50 percent reduction in noise footprint compared to previous generation aircraft.

Photo: Airbus.

Air Lease Corporation announces lease placement of two new Airbus A321neo aircraft with Air Macau

Air Lease Corporation (ALC) today has announced a long-term lease agreement for two new Airbus A321neo aircraft with Air Macau.

Featuring Pratt & Whitney PW1133G engines, the aircraft will deliver from ALC’s order book with Airbus in November 2019 and the first quarter of 2020.

Air Macau Route Map:

Vietnam Airlines takes delivery of first Airbus A321neo aircraft powered by Pratt & Whitney GTF™ engines

Pratt & Whitney, a division of United Technologies Corp. and Vietnam Airlines celebrated delivery of the airline’s first Airbus A321neo aircraft (VN-A618, msn 8589) powered by Pratt & Whitney GTF™ engines.

Vietnam Airlines is leasing the aircraft from Aviation Capital Group (ACG). The airline announced selection of the GTF engine to power 20 Airbus A321neo aircraft in November 2017. The delivery was celebrated at a ceremony in Hamburg, Germany with Vietnam Airlines, Airbus, ACG and Pratt & Whitney officials in attendance.

Pratt & Whitney and Vietnam Airlines share a long history dating back to the early 1990s when the airline received its first PW4000-powered 767. Today, the airline’s fleet consists of 57 V2500®-powered A320ceo aircraft and 2 PW4170-powered A330 aircraft. With the addition of the A321neo aircraft, Vietnam Airlines plans to continue their growth in the region.

Since entering into service in early 2016, the GTF engine has demonstrated its promised ability to reduce fuel burn by 16 percent, to reduce NOx emissions by 50 percent to the regulatory standard and to lower the noise footprint by 75 percent.

Air Lease Corporation announces delivery of Airbus A321-200neo aircraft with Air New Zealand

Air Lease Corporation (ALC) has announced the delivery of one new Airbus A321-200neo aircraft featuring Pratt & Whitney PW1133G-JM engines on long-term lease to Air New Zealand. This A321-200neo is the first of five Airbus A320neo family aircraft confirmed to deliver to Air New Zealand through 2019 from Air Lease Corporation’s order book with Airbus and joins two A320-200 aircraft currently on long-term lease to the airline.

“This deal is part of a long history between Air Lease Corporation and Air New Zealand and we are pleased to announce this new A321-200neo delivery today,” said Steven Udvar-Házy, Executive Chairman of Air Lease Corporation. “Air New Zealand is known for aviation excellence worldwide and this A321-200neo adds significant enhancements to the airline’s first-rate fleet.”

Air New Zealand issued this statement on November 3, 2018:

The airline formally took delivery of the aircraft on Wednesday (Hamburg time) and it departed the Airbus Delivery Centre at Finkenwerder, Hamburg at 9.00 am Friday (local time). The four-day journey will see the aircraft travel from Hamburg to Auckland via Oman, Kuala Lumpur and Cairns with a small team of nine on board. It’s expected to arrive in Auckland late on Monday evening (NZ time)

The aircraft, with the tail registration ZK-NNA, is the first of 13 new Airbus neo aircraft (seven A321neos and six A320neos) to join Air New Zealand’s fleet and is expected to enter commercial service on 23 November operating flight NZ739 from Auckland to Brisbane.

A second A321neo is also expected to enter service in the coming weeks, while the majority of the remaining aircraft will follow at intervals through until late 2019, with the new fleet eventually replacing the airline’s A320s that currently operate Tasman and Pacific Island services.

A further seven A321neos have also been ordered for the airline’s domestic network and are expected to be delivered from 2020 to 2024.

Hawaiian Airlines receives its first U.S.-produced aircraft

Hawaiian Airlines has taken delivery of its first U.S.-produced Airbus A321. The aircraft, delivered from the Airbus U.S. Manufacturing Facility in Mobile, Alabama, is also the first new engine option aircraft (NEO) delivered from Airbus’ U.S. facility. It is powered by a Pratt & Whitney PW1000G high-bypass geared turbofan engine. Executives and employees from Airbus and Hawaiian, and executives from Pratt & Whitney and UTC Aerospace Systems witnessed the milestone delivery.

Hawaiian currently offers daily nonstop A321neo flights from Portland and Long Beach to Honolulu. The carrier will announce additional A321neo routes between the U.S. West Coast and the Hawaiian Islands as it welcomes a total of 18 aircraft through 2020.

Offering the lowest operating costs in its class, the A321neo operates 15 percent more efficiently than its A321ceo predecessor and by 2020 will operate at 20 percent more efficiently.

Demonstrating the adage “The Sun Never Sets on Airbus Manufacturing,” Airbus aircraft are now produced around the clock, 24 hours a day, at facilities in Mobile, Alabama; Hamburg, Germany; Toulouse, France; and Tianjin, China.

All photos by Airbus.

Primera Air takes delivery of its first Airbus A321neo

Primera Air, a low-fare Nordic airline, has taken delivery of its first Airbus A321neo at an event in Hamburg, Germany attended by Andri Már Ingólfsson, CEO and President of Primera Travel Group and Kimon Sotiropoulos, Vice President Sales Northern and Central Europe from Airbus.

The aircraft, the pictured A321-251N WL OY-PAA (msn 8145), which was assembled in Hamburg, is the first of three A321neos to be leased from GECAS in 2018. Primera Air will also lease a further five A321neos from other lessors, including two A321LRs, growing its fleet to eight aircraft in 2018.

The aircraft, powered by CFM International LEAP-1A engines features a two-class layout with 16 premium and 182 economy seats. The aircraft was selected by Primera Air for its outstanding operational efficiency, comfort and range. The aircraft will be deployed in the United Kingdom and France on transatlantic destinations to North America.

The A321 is the largest member of the A320 Family, seating up to 240 passengers, depending on cabin configuration. Incorporating the latest engines, aerodynamic advances and cabin innovations, the A321neo offers a reduction in fuel consumption of at least 15 percent per seat from day one and 20 percent by 2020.

About Primera

Primera Air is a low-fare Nordic airline that offers scheduled flights from Europe to more than 70 destinations across the Mediterranean, Middle East, Asia, Caribbean and North America. Originally founded in Iceland in 2004 as a charter provider, Primera Air has grown to become a fully scheduled LCC that now carries over one million passengers each year. Initially, Primera Air operated charter flights for major Scandinavian tour operators with its main hubs in Denmark and Sweden, but gradually it has moved towards scheduled services. Today, Primera Air operates mid and long-haul flights from its bases in Scandinavia, UK and France.

Photo: Airbus.

Primera Air issued this statement:

Nordic long-haul low-fare airline Primera Air has received the first Airbus A321neo in a special delivery event in Hamburg on April 16. The aircraft has already made its first flights from Hamburg to Copenhagen and Billund before leaving to the UK where it soon will start operations to New York, Boston and Toronto.

Primera Air president Andri Már Ingólfsson: “We are witnessing changes in aviation as long-haul flights are becoming more available to everyone. This change is brought by the new narrow body aircraft as A321neo and we are proud to operate it on our transatlantic flights.” This is the first of three A321neos to be leased from GECAS in 2018. Primera Air will also lease a further five A321neos from other lessors, including two A321LRs, growing its fleet to eight aircrafts in 2018. Primera Air will be the launch operator of A321LR, which is a modification of A321neo with even more extended flight range.

The aircraft is powered by CFM Leap-1A engines that allows to reach flight range of 4,000 nm. A321neo will have a two class layout with 16 premium and 182 economy seats. Meanwhile, the A321LR will be delivered later this year and recently it already had its maiden flight. According to Airbus it will set a new flight record for single-aisle twin jets of 4,750 nm.

As previously announced, Primera Air is opening new bases in Birmingham (BHX), London Stansted (STN) and Paris Charles de Gaulle (CDG) to commence flights to New York, Boston, Washington DC and Toronto this spring, along with new routes from UK to Málaga, Palma de Mallorca, Alicante, Barcelona and Chania. Within the next two years Primera Air plans to increase its presence on current bases and to add new transatlantic routes and bases as it has 20 new Boeing MAX 9 ER on order.

Airbus rolls out first A321neo ACF

Airbus has completed assembly of the first A321neo ACF (Airbus Cabin Flex) at its facilities in Hamburg, Germany. The aircraft, powered by CFM LEAP-1A engines, will undergo ground tests prior to its scheduled first flight in the coming weeks. First delivery of an A321neo ACF to a customer is scheduled for mid-2018.

The A321neo ACF is the latest addition to the successful A320 Family. By applying modifications to the fuselage, the ACF enables more flexible cabin configurations for up to 240 passengers. Compared to the previous A321 variant, the most visible modifications are a new rear section and a modified passenger door configuration, where the door located forward of the wing is removed and new overwing emergency exits in the centre section are introduced. The A321neo ACF is an option today and will become standard for all A321neos around 2020.

The A321neo ACF is the base for a longer range variant known as the A321LR. The A321LR has an increased MTOW (Maximum Take Off Weight) of 97 tons and a third underfloor fuel tank allowing airlines to increase its range to 4,000 nautical miles for intercontinental flights. The first delivery of an A321LR is targeted for the fourth quarter of 2018.

Photo: Airbus.

Vietjet converts order for 42 Airbus A320neo to A321neo

Vietjet (Hanoi) will convert its existing order for 42 Airbus A320neo to the larger A321neo, bringing to a total of 73 A321neo and 11 A321ceo on order for future delivery.

The first A321neo “new engine option”, registered as VN-646, has also arrived at Tan Son Nhat International Airport from Hamburg recently, marking a major milestone for Vietjet as it has become the first airline in Southeast Asia to operate the Airbus aircraft powered by Pratt & Whitney’s latest-generation GTF engines.

Fitted out with 230 comfortable leather-covered seats and high-quality carpeting, the first five rows of Vietjet’s spacious new A321neo have been especially designed to accommodate passengers flying Skyboss, the airline’s premium service. The aircraft’s interior also features a unique color-changing LED light system and striking décor to create a comfortable and refreshing ambience throughout the whole cabin.

The A321neo is also the 17th aircraft Vietjet has received in 2017 alone, increasing its total fleet to 55. The new aircraft has begun operating on domestic and international routes to and from Vietnam as of January 2018.

Copyright Photo: Vietjet Air (VietJetAir.com) Airbus A321-211 WL VN-A651 (msn 5295) (9000th Airbus Aircraft) HAN (Jacques Guillem Collection). Image: 939474.) (9000th Airbus Aircraft) HAN (Jacques Guillem Collection). Image: 939474.

Vietjet aircraft slide show:

Air Astana takes delivery of first Airbus A321neo

Air Astana (Almaty) has taken delivery of the first Airbus A321neo at the Airbus facility in Hamburg, Germany. The aircraft is on an operating lease from Aercap, with the deal including two further A321neo and one A320neo aircraft for delivery planned in 2018.

The Air Astana A321neo is configured with 28 Business Class and 151 Economy class seats, all of which are equipped with personal IFE systems. The A321neo is powered by the latest generation Pratt & Whitney engines, which together with aerodynamic improvements, make it the quietest aircraft in its class and also delivers fuel consumption 15% lower than the previous model. The cabin features larger overhead-bin capacity and a new mood-lighting system with LED technology.

The aircraft will be operated on Air Astana’s network of domestic and regional routes.

Air Astana currently operates 13 Airbus A320 aircraft and one A320neo, which was delivered in 2016. The carrier plans to increase the fleet of A320neo family aircraft to 17 by 2020.

Photo: Air Astana. The pictured Airbus A321-271N D-AYAK (msn 7567) became P4-KDC when it was officially haned over on December 30, 2017.

Air Astana aircraft slide show:

Vietjet introduces its first Airbus A321neo

Vietjet has become the first airline in Southeast Asia to take delivery of an AIrbus A321neo (new engine option) after the Airbus aircraft landed at Tan Son Nhat International Airport from Hamburg, Germany. The A321neo, registered as VN-646, is powered by Pratt & Whitney’s latest-generation GTF engines.

Fitted out with 230 comfy leather-covered seats and high-quality carpeting, the first five rows of Vietjet’s spacious new A321neo have been especially designed to accommodate passengers flying Skyboss, the airline’s premium service. The aircraft’s interior also features a unique color-changing LED light system and striking décor to create a comfortable and refreshing ambience through the whole cabin.

The brand new A321neo incorporates the latest in engine design, advanced aerodynamics and cabin innovations. According to the aircraft manufacturer, its GTF engines offer a significant reduction in fuel consumption — at least 16 percent from day one and 20 percent by 2020 — as well 75% reduction in noise and 50% in emissions. The engines were first introduced by Pratt & Whitney in 2016. Vietjet is one of the very first airlines in the world to incorporate the engines to its aircraft. The A321neo is also the 17^th aircraft delivered to Vietjet from Airbus in 2017.

The new aircraft will begin operating on domestic and international routes to and from Vietnam in January 2018. On receiving the aircraft, Vietjet also announced its decision to upgrade an existing order for 42 A320neo aircraft to the superior, and larger, A321neo models. Accordingly, the airline now has a total of 73 A321neo and 11 A321ceo on order for future delivery.