The Chilean-based low-cost airline SKY (formerly known as SKY Airline) presented in the cold and murky morning of August 12, at its SCL maintenance base (located inside Arturo Merino Benitez Airport) its first Airbus A321-251NX. It is registered CC-DCA, msn 10532.
CC-DCA is the first A321neo to operate in Chile and the first one flying in the Americas. This airliner has a high-density capacity of 238 seats, the second worldwide after Arkia of Israel, and is also the first of three of the type to be received by SKY in 2021. These airliners have the LEAP-1A engines with 32,000 pounds of thrust.
These high-density airliners are to be used mainly inside Chile (La Serena, Concepción, Punta Arenas from Santiago) and also to neighboring countries (Argentina, Perú) replacing smaller capacity aircraft: more passengers with upgraded fuel consumption and thus, more eco-friendly operations.
It is expected that SKY should receive two more of the type (registered CC-DCB and CC-DCC) in the current year, while the remaining will be the A321XLR model from 2022.
Alvaro Romero reporting from Chile.
All photos by Alvaro Romero/http://www.modocharlie.cl/.
