- Order combines current and new engine types
New York and France | July 26, 2016– New York-based JetBlue Airways has amended its purchase agreement with Airbus to include an additional 15 Airbus A321ceo (current engine option) and 15 A321neo (new engine option) aircraft. The airline, which already operates A321s, has not yet announced its engine selection for the newly ordered aircraft. Beginning in 2019, JetBlue has the flexibility to configure the New Engine Option aircraft to the Longer Range version of the A321 – the A321LR.
“Airbus has been our partner since the beginning, and we are proud that our partnership continues today,” said Robin Hayes, president and CEO, JetBlue. “The A321 is an incredible aircraft that is delivering results for our business. We intend to deploy many of these aircraft to expand our successful Mint experience and our west coast presence.”
Many of JetBlue’s newly ordered A321 aircraft are expected to be delivered from Airbus’ newest manufacturing facility in Mobile, Alabama. The first aircraft to be produced at Airbus’ U.S. Manufacturing Facility – a JetBlue A321 known as “BluesMobile” – is on public display today at the EAA AirVenture air show in Oshkosh, Wisconsin. BluesMobile was delivered to the airline and entered service this spring.
“When we decided to build an assembly line in the U.S., we did it to help meet the increasing demand from our U.S. customers,” said John Leahy, Chief Operating Officer – Customers. “The A320 Family is a market leader worldwide – one that has found particularly great success in the United States because of its economics, efficiency and comfort. We look forward to delivering more and more aircraft from our U.S. facility to our customers here in America.”
JetBlue currently operates a fleet of 160 A320 Family aircraft, including 130 A320s and 30 A321s. Including the order announced today, the airline’s backlog of Airbus aircraft comprises 116 planes: 25 A320neo, 31 A321ceo, and 60 A321neo aircraft.
The A320 Family is the world’s best-selling single aisle product line with almost 12,600 orders since launch and more than 7,100 aircraft delivered to more than 320 operators worldwide. Thanks to their widest cabin, all members of the A320 Family offer unmatched comfort in all classes and Airbus’ 18” wide seats in economy as standard. With one aircraft in four sizes, the A320 Family, seating from 100 to 240 passengers, seamlessly covers the entire single-aisle segment from low to high-density domestic to longer range routes.
- Signals strong demand for Airbus’ latest A330neo and A321LR models
France | March 9, 2015– Air Lease Corporation (ALC), the Los Angeles based aircraft leasing company, has firmed up its order for 55 Airbus aircraft, comprising 25 A330-900neo and 30 A321LR – the very latest members of Airbus’ modern, fuel-efficient aircraft family.
ALC was first to sign up for the newest member of Airbus’ market leading widebody family, the A330neo, announcing a commitment for 25 A330-900neo during the launch at the 2014 Farnborough International Airshow. ALC was also the first to commit to the A321LR, the newest variant of the A321neo, after signing a Memorandum of Understanding for 30 at the launch in January 2015, increasing its commitment made for 60 A321neo at the 2014 Farnborough Airshow to 90 firm A321neo aircraft.
“We are proud to be adding these newest generation Airbus aircraft to our portfolio and to have played a part in launching these latest generation, efficient aircraft,” said Steven F. Udvar-Házy, Air Lease Corporation’s Chairman and Chief Executive Officer. “We see significant market appetite for Airbus’ A321LR and A330neo models, offering operators exactly what they want – even more range, even better economics and superior level of passenger comfort.”
“ALC is always ahead of the game and we are very happy to have them on board from the start with our latest A321LR and A330neo models,” said John Leahy, Airbus Chief Operating Officer, Customers. “We listen very carefully to our customers and are clearly seeing that our strategy to constantly improve our products through incremental innovations means we are able to not only meet but exceed their highest expectations.”
Including today’s announcement, ALC’s total firm orders for Airbus aircraft stands at 258, comprising 53 A320ceo Family, 140 A320neo Family, 15 A330 Family, 25 A350 XWB Family and 25 A330neo Family.
The A321LR, the latest member of the market leading A320neo Family, will be able to fly longer routes of up to 4,000 nm. The A321LR will provide additional flexibility as it will have the longest range of any single aisle airliner, making it ideally suited to transatlantic routes and enable airlines to tap into new long haul markets which were not previously accessible with current single aisle aircraft. With 206 passengers in a comfortable two-class layout, the A321LR offers the possibility for each passenger to carry up to three bags. First deliveries will start in 2019.
The A330-800neo and the A330-900neo are two new members of the Airbus Widebody Family launched in July 2014 with first deliveries in Q4 2017. The A330neo incorporates latest generation Rolls-Royce Trent 7000 engines, aerodynamic enhancements and new cabin features. Benefitting from the excellent economics, versatility and high reliability of the A330, the A330neo reduces fuel consumption by 14% per seat, making it the most cost efficient, medium range Widebody aircraft on the market. In addition, A330neo operators will also benefit from a range increase of up to 400 nautical miles and all the operational commonality advantages of the Airbus Family.