– Airline selects A321 and A330 under fleet renewal programme

August 28, 2012 — Philippine Airlines (PAL) has placed a firm order with Airbus covering 34 A321ceo, 10 A321neo and 10 A330-300s. The aircraft are being purchased under a major fleet modernisation programme at the airline, with deliveries starting in 2013.

The single aisle A321 aircraft are being purchased to enhance the airline’s product offerings on domestic and regional routes, as well as to support alliances with its partner airlines. The widebody A330s will be operated on higher demand regional routes and longer range services to the Middle East and Australia. PAL will announce engine selections for all the aircraft at a later date.

“The orders we are placing with Airbus will play a key role in revitalising PAL and growing trade and tourism in the country, said PAL Chairman Lucio Tan and PAL President Ramon S. Ang. “With these aircraft we will be able to offer more passengers the best the industry has to offer across our Asia-Pacific network. At the same time, we will benefit from the low operating costs associated with new generation aircraft and the reduced impact on the environment.”

“We are extremely pleased that Philippine Airlines has placed its confidence in our aircraft to meet its future requirements,” said John Leahy, Chief Operating Officer, Customers, Airbus. “This announcement demonstrates once again the popularity of both the A320 Family and the A330, which remain the leaders in their size categories in terms of operating economics, reliability and passenger comfort.”

The A321 is the largest member of the best-selling A320 Family, which offers the lowest operating costs of any single aisle product line today. These costs will be reduced even further with the arrival of the new engine option (NEO), offering additional fuel savings of 15 per cent. To date, over 8,500 A320 Family aircraft have been ordered and more than 5,200 delivered to 365 customers and operators worldwide.

The A330 is one of the most widely-used widebody aircraft in service today. Airbus has recorded over 1,200 orders for the various versions of the aircraft, with some 900 now flying with 90 operators worldwide. In addition to passenger and freighter aircraft, the A330 is also available in VIP and military transport / tanker variants.

– Russian carrier becomes new Airbus customer

July 12, 2012– ‪UTair, one of Russia’s leading carriers, has signed a firm contract with Airbus for 20 A321 aircraft during the Farnborough Air Show. This is the largest order for the type received from a carrier in the region and the first time that UTair has ordered Airbus aircraft.

UTair’s A321s will feature a spacious single-class cabin layout seating 220 passengers. The airline is planning to operate these new aircraft to further develop its charter network of popular leisure destinations.

‪”Today’s signature of the contract on the delivery of new A321s demonstrates our firm intentions to continue to grow and strengthen our positions among leading Russian carriers. The chosen A321 aircraft fully meets the requirements of our fleet modernization programme, aimed at providing reliable operations, improving the level of service and developing the network”, remarked Andrey Martirosov, UTair CEO.
‪”We are delighted to welcome UTair as a new Airbus customer in Russia and the latest for the A320 Family,” said John Leahy, Airbus Chief Operating Officer, Customers. “This best-selling single-aisle aircraft offers not only superb technology but also unbeatable economics, which will contribute to the airline’s continued growth and fleet expansion. We look forward to a long-term partnership with UTair”, he added.
UTair airline, one of the most dynamic Russian carriers from the top three, was founded in 1967. The airline is operating a fleet of some 200 aircraft to over 60 domestic and some 40 international destinations.

The A320 Family (A318, A319, A320 and A321) is recognized as the benchmark single-aisle aircraft family. As of today, more than 8,500 Airbus A320 Family aircraft have been sold to 365 customers and operators worldwide, making it the world’s best selling commercial jetliner ever. With proven reliability and extended servicing periods, the A320 Family has the lowest operating costs of any single-aisle aircraft

Fleet Harmonisation And Renewal With The Eco-Efficient A320 Family

January 25, 2011 — Thomas Cook Group has signed a firm order for 12 A321, as a first step of its single aisle fleet harmonisation and renewal plan which is based on the A320 Family. The aircraft will be fitted with the latest fuel saving wing-tip devices, known as Sharklets.

In addition to the firm order, Thomas Cook Group plans to lease A320 Family aircraft from operating lessors.

“In selecting the Airbus A320 family for our fleet modernisation, we have identified significant operational savings, particularly from maintenance and improved fuel efficiency. The A321 with Sharklets more than fully meets our expectations for range and economics,” said a Thomas Cook Group spokesman.

“The A321 with Sharklets offers a leap in operational and environmental performance alongside the widest, most comfortable cabin in its market,” said John Leahy, Airbus Chief Operating Officer, Customers. “We are delighted that Thomas Cook has selected the A320 family for boosting flexibility and efficiency within their fleet and we look forward to developing our relationship further.”

Thomas Cook Group plc is one of the world’s leading leisure travel groups, operating under five geographic segments and in 21 countries.

Sharklets are large wing-tip devices that will enhance the eco-efficiency and payload-range performance of the A320 Family. They are expected to result in at least 3.5 percent reduced fuel burn over longer sectors, corresponding to an annual reduction of around 700 metric tons of carbon dioxide per aircraft. This latest development is part of a larger, continuous-update program for the A320 Family.

The A320 Family (A318, A319, A320 and A321) is recognised as the benchmark single-aisle aircraft family. With close to 7,000 aircraft sold, and more than 4,500 aircraft delivered to over 320 customers and operators worldwide, the A320 Family is the world’s best-selling single-aisle aircraft family. With 99.7 per cent reliability and extended servicing periods, the A320 Family has the lowest operating costs of any single aisle aircraft.