LONDON (Reuters) – Airbus is close to a deal worth billions of dollars to sell dozens of A320neo-family and smaller A220 aircraft to Air France as the French network carries out a keenly awaited renewal of its medium-haul fleet, industry sources said.
The deal could include as many as 50-70 Canadian-designed A220 jets, formerly known as CSeries, to replace Air France’s ageing fleet of roughly 50 A318 and A319 aircraft, they said.
Air France is also expected to pick the A320neo family to replace approximately 40 earlier versions of the Airbus A320 that are up to 18 years old.
A spokeswoman for Franco-Dutch parent Air France-KLM said: “Air France is pursuing work on its medium-haul fleet renewal. No decision has been taken at this stage.”
Airbus declined to comment on the deal, which is expected to be formally discussed at an end-month Air France-KLM board meeting.
The expected deal marks a rebound for Airbus after rival Boeing poached part of the fleet of British Airways owner IAG at last month’s Paris Airshow.
That deal caught Airbus off guard, though in the longer term sources say it may also have eased the European planemaker’s anxieties over the grounding of Boeing’s 737 MAX following the Ethiopian Airlines crash in March.
Airbus privately hopes the MAX will survive the crisis to avoid a costly race to develop all-new aircraft and to ease the prospect of a radical change in certification rules.
The anticipated Air France deal also illustrates Airbus’s recent deliberate effort to boost A220 sales by packaging deals together with its benchmark A320, industry sources said.
Airbus bought the loss-making A220 programme from Canada’s Bombardier last year and immediately began offering it to customers that already have other Airbus aircraft, allowing it to juggle prices and ancillary services across the fleet.
Air France-KLM, formed from a merger of French and Dutch flag carriers in 2004, continues to operate a mixed fleet between its two main national networks.
KLM last month provisionally became the first major European customer for the newly certified E195-E2 offered by A220 rival Embraer of Brazil, whose commercial aerospace arm is being acquired by Boeing.
KLM signed a letter of intent for 15 of the upgraded aircraft and options for another 20.
The Dutch carrier and Franco-Dutch low-cost subsidiary Transavia both operate the Boeing 737 family.
(Additional reporting by Laurence Frost; Editing by Geert de Clercq and Luke Baker)
LOS ANGELES, July 15, 2019 – Today Air Lease Corporation (NYSE: AL; “ALC”) announced the delivery of one new Airbus A320-200neo aircraft on long-term lease to Atlantic Airways, the national airline of the Faroe Islands. Powered by CFM International LEAP-1A26 engines, this aircraft is the first of two A320-200neos confirmed to deliver to the airline from ALC’s order book with Airbus. The second A320-200neo is scheduled to deliver to Atlantic Airways in Spring 2020.
“ALC is pleased to announce the delivery to Atlantic Airways of its first A320-200 neo and is excited to be part of the fleet transformation at the airline,” said Grant Levy, Executive Vice President of Air Lease Corporation. “The A320-200neo will significantly enhance Atlantic Airways’ fleet operations by not only supporting the airline’s existing route structure but also allow the airline to grow its route network in Europe and North America.”
Atlantic Airways’ Chief Executive Officer, Jóhanna á Bergi said, “We are very pleased to receive our first Airbus A320-200neo. This will enhance passenger experience and Atlantic Airways’ operations as national carrier, air bridge and life line.
Forward-Looking Statements
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NEW YORK–(BUSINESS WIRE)– JetBlue (NASDAQ: JBLU) today proudly announced it has been named the number one domestic airline in Travel + Leisure’s World’s Best Awards 2019. Each year, the readers of Travel + Leisure, the largest travel brand in the United States, vote on their favorite airlines, destinations, hotels, and more. Now approaching 20 years of low-fare flying, JetBlue continues to put the customer at the center of the travel experience in ways no airline can match.
“Whether it’s new planes on new routes, our customer comfort and inflight connectivity, or our airport amenities and caring crewmembers, JetBlue strives to lead the industry in every aspect of air travel,” said Joanna Geraghty, JetBlue’s president and chief operating officer. “Honors like this from Travel + Leisure show that the dedication of our 22,000+ crewmembers is truly making a difference in the experiences of our customers each day and we couldn’t be prouder.”
This recognition comes as JetBlue recently took delivery of its first Airbus A321neo aircraft and announced future orders for the A321LR, A321XLR and A220-300 aircraft. Together the aircraft will usher in the next chapter of the JetBlue story with unmatched fuel savings, a best-in-class customer experience from award-winning crewmembers, and the promise to broaden the customer-focused airline’s reach within the Americas and into Europe in the years ahead.
At the same time, JetBlue continues to make significant investments in its current fleet and customer experience through the restyling of its A320 aircraft. JetBlue’s newest Airbus A320 cabin experience officially took flight this spring and introduces a new era of comfort and connectivity to travelers, bringing to the skies the widest seats available for this aircraft and the most legroom in coach of any U.S. airline (a). The refreshed experience also offers an unparalleled inflight entertainment (IFE) experience with 100+ channels of DIRECTV® and hundreds of free movies and shows, expanded coverage of free Fly-Fi® broadband connectivity almost everywhere JetBlue flies (b) and much more.
Additionally, JetBlue continues to expand its award-winning premium Mint experience on cross-country routes and in the Caribbean and Latin America. Currently, the airline operates more than 80 daily Mint flights in 15 JetBlue cities. On most of these routes, JetBlue is the only airline to offer regularly scheduled flights with a lie flat seat, which complements other Mint amenities including tapas-style dining, Hayward and Hopper amenity kits, dessert from local artisanal ice cream makers and award-winning service from hospitality-trained crewmembers.
“For 24 years, our readers have been voting in the Travel + Leisure World’s Best Awards,” said Jacqui Gifford, Editor in Chief, Travel + Leisure. “This annual franchise is a global collection of the top hotels, islands, cities, cruise lines, airlines, and more. Brands and properties from all over the world—from Peru to Japan, India to Italy, and right here at home in the United States—are recognized by our audience because they deliver on exceptional experiences, rooted in a sense of place. I congratulate all of this year’s winners, who have worked so hard to be among the world’s best.”
JetBlue’s honor from Travel + Leisure comes on the heels of JetBlue being named Highest in Customer Satisfaction Among Low Cost Carriers in the J.D. Power 2019 North America Airline Satisfaction Study. The airline has also recently picked up awards for its TrueBlue loyalty program, the JetBlue mobile app and was awarded for “Best Regional Business Class” and Overall “Passenger Comfort” in North America by TripAdvisor.
Azores Airlines, the Azores archipelago-based carrier, has taken delivery of its first of three A321LRs to be leased from Air Lease Corporation “ALC”; NYSE: AL, becoming the latest operator of the long-range single-aisle aircraft.
Powered by CFM International’s LEAP-1A engines, the Azores Airlines’
A321LR comprises 190 seats in a two-class configuration (16 Business
class seats and 174 seats in Economy) offering premium wide-body comfort
in a single-aisle aircraft cabin and with single-aisle operating costs.
With this new A321LR, the Portuguese operator will continue its
strategy of growth and network expansion to European destinations as
well as transatlantic routes between the Azores and North America.
The A321LR is a long-range (LR) version of the best-selling A320neo
Family and provides airlines with the flexibility to fly long-range
operations of up to 4,000 nm (7,400 km) and to tap into new long-haul
markets, which were not previously accessible with single-aisle
aircraft.
The A321LR will join the Azores Airlines’ Airbus fleet of five
single-aisle aircraft comprising three A320ceo and two A321neo jetliners
in service since last year. This new member of the fleet will provide
Azores Airlines with more operational flexibility while leveraging on
aircraft commonality.
The A320neo and its derivatives are the world’s best-selling
single-aisle aircraft family with over 6,500 orders from more than 100
customers. It has pioneered and incorporated the latest technologies,
including new generation engines and the industry’s reference cabin
design, delivering 20% fuel cost per seat savings alone. The A320neo
also offers significant environmental benefits with nearly a 50%
reduction in noise footprint compared to previous generation aircraft.
MOSCOW (Reuters) – Russian airline Ural Airlines plans to receive the first of 14 previously ordered Boeing-737 MAX aircraft for leasing in December, Interfax news agency reported, citing its chief executive Sergei Skuratov.
Two Boeing MAX aircraft crashed in Ethiopia in March and Indonesia last October, triggering the global grounding of the aircraft. Regulators must approve the fix and new pilot training before the jets can fly again.
“These are good aircrafts. Mistakes have been made, but they are going to be fixed,” Skuratov was quoted as saying by Interfax.
Ural Airlines signed a deal for the leasing of 14 Boeing-737 MAX 8 in the spring of 2018. The delivery was expected between October 2019 and May 2022, Interfax said.
When asked whether the company considered cancelling the deal, Skuratov told the agency that “Boeing has certain advantages: seven hours 45 minutes (of flight) without refueling fully loaded.”
Ural Airlines plans to receive its first Airbus A320neo in August with an additional four jets expected to arrive by the end of 2019, he added.
(Reporting by Polina Devitt,; Editing by William Maclean)
Bamboo Airways is a new Vietnamese airline that commenced operations at the beginning of 2019. The airline currently has a fleet of about 10 Airbus A320 family aircraft, and has a further 76 planes on order, including 46 A321neo’s and 30 787-9’s.
Upgraded Boeing 767-400s will have new Delta One business class seat.
Delta Premium Select also expands to more markets.
Delta Air Lines will offer improved cabin experiences for customers starting this fall through the launch of its new business class seat offering more comfort and privacy, plus the expansion of its international premium economy cabin, Delta Premium Select to new markets in Europe and South America.
The new cabins will be fitted on the 767-400 fleet and bring all four branded seat products – Delta One, Delta Premium Select, Delta Comfort+ and Main Cabin – to this aircraft for the first time. The aircraft have initially been scheduled on select flights between Atlanta and London Heathrow starting November 12, 2019, followed by a number of additional European and South American markets. Select flights to London, Zurich and Brussels on this aircraft will be available for purchase starting this weekend with additional markets for sale in the coming weeks.
Here is a full overview of the markets the new 767-400 aircraft will fly:
Route (airport code)
Effective Dates
Atlanta (ATL) – London Heathrow (LHR)
Nov. 12
New York-JFK (JFK) – London Heathrow (LHR)
Nov. 16
Boston (BOS) – London Heathrow (LHR)
Nov. 20
New York-JFK (JFK) – Zurich (ZRH)
Dec. 8
New York-JFK (JFK) – Brussels (BRU)
Jan. 30
Atlanta (ATL) – Brussels (BRU)
Feb. 22
New York-JFK (JFK) – São Paulo (GRU)
2Q 2020
Detroit (DTW) – London Heathrow (LHR)
2Q 2020
Minneapolis (MSP) – London Heathrow (LHR)
2Q 2020
Portland (PDX) – London Heathrow (LHR)
2Q 2020
Atlanta (ATL) – Munich (MUC)
2Q 2020
New York-JFK (JFK) – Nice
2Q 2020
Atlanta (ATL) – Zurich (ZRH)
2Q 2020
Atlanta (ATL) – Buenos Aires (EZE)
2Q 2020
”Our investments in our Boeing 767-400 fleet reflect our continuous effort to elevate each aspect of the international customer experience,” said Steve Sear, Delta’s President — International and E.V.P. — Global Sales. “We understand that our customers want to curate their own travel experience and offering four cabins allows for more choice while continuing to align our products across the Delta fleet.”
Delta is investing millions of dollars in its widebody long-haul fleet to give customers greater choice when they travel. The 767-400 refit follows the introduction of the Delta One suite and Delta Premium Select on its Airbus A330-900neo, Airbus A350-900 and Boeing 777-200 aircraft.
Here are some more details on Delta’s new cabins:
Delta One
The cabin will feature a new seat customized for this aircraft, which offers extra privacy through high sides and a divider between the two middle seats in the 1-2-1 configuration. There will be 34 seats in total.
The memory foam-cushion seats will also feature personal stowage areas, customizable ambient lighting and 18″ wide, high-resolution in-flight entertainment screens.
New self-service area for customers to enjoy snacks and beverages at their leisure throughout the flight.
Delta Premium Select
Delta’s premium economy cabin, Delta Premium Select, will have 20 seats in a 2x2x2 configuration.
It is a separate cabin between Delta One and Main Cabin, offering customers dedicated service, plated meals on Alessi serviceware, TUMI branded amenity kits, and LSTN noise-canceling headsets.
Seats, with memory foam cushions, will be 19″ wide with up to 38″ pitch and 7″ recline. The seats will also feature an adjustable leg rest and footrest, along with a larger IFE 13.3″ screen than found in Comfort+ and Main Cabin.
Delta Comfort+ and Main Cabin
New, wider seats with memory foam cushions and adjustable headrests for improved comfort on long-haul flights.
10.1” seatback screens to enjoy the 1,000+ hours of entertainment available on-demand via Delta Studio.
Furthermore, the aircraft will also be fitted with Delta’s own in-flight entertainment system created by Delta Flight Products. The first-of-its-kind system combines wireless technology with state-of-the-art tablet displays mounted into the back of the seat. The system debuted on Delta’s A220 fleet and is also rolling out on the new A330-900neo fleet before coming to the 767-400 aircraft as part of the interior refit.
In addition to the expected customer experience and cost benefits, wireless IFE also helps reduce the airline’s environmental impact. The wireless streaming technology enables the reduction of about one pound of wiring per seat when installed on an aircraft. This means Delta’s modified 767-400 fleet will save about 1,330 metric tons of carbon emissions annually.
Visit the Delta link below for a video presentation of the new cabin layouts!
JetBlue Converts 13 Aircraft in Existing Order Book to the Xtra Long Range Version of Airbus’ Newest, Fuel-Efficient Aircraft to Expand Transatlantic Options
JetBlue Also Exercises Its Option to Take 10 Additional A200-300 Aircraft – Featuring Powerful Combination of Economics and Range – Increasing Total on Order to 70
NEW YORK–(BUSINESS WIRE)– JetBlue (NASDAQ: JBLU) today announced it is converting 13 aircraft in its existing Airbus A321neo order book to the XLR version for delivery scheduled to begin in 2023. The aircraft will support JetBlue’s focus city strategy by allowing the airline to implement further expansion to additional European destinations from Boston and New York, while also providing added fuel efficiency.
“The incredible extended range of the A321XLR allows us to evaluate even more overseas destinations as we think about JetBlue’s expansion into European markets plagued by high premium fares and subpar service,” said Robin Hayes, chief executive officer, JetBlue.
The airline also announced it is exercising its option to add 10 additional A220-300 aircraft to its order with delivery beginning in 2025. Together both aircraft ensure the best financial performance of JetBlue’s fleet, while providing maximum flexibility to execute its network strategy. These aircraft are both game changers in regards to enhancing the airline’s industry-leading customer experience.
“Increasing our firm order for A220 aircraft gives us a valuable tool to support our network strategy in the Americas and continue to build our focus cities with an airplane that offers incredible economics and range,” said Hayes. “Both the XLR and the A220 ensure we remain committed to meeting financial targets with disciplined growth.”
“JetBlue has been pioneering new travel options for passengers for 20 years,” said Christian Scherer, chief commercial officer, Airbus. “By building their future fleet with more A220s and the addition of the A321XLR – the most capable, longest-range aircraft in their categories – JetBlue is signaling a continued commitment to creating new opportunities for people to travel in both comfort and efficiency.”
The A321XLR & Overseas Options
Introduced just this week at the Paris Air Show, the A321XLR is the latest evolution of the A321neo aircraft family and features an extended range of 4,700 nautical miles – some 600 nautical miles more than the A321LR aircraft. The increased flying distance is made possible with an additional rear center tank for more fuel volume. And with 30% lower fuel burn per seat than previous-generation aircraft, JetBlue can maximize the benefits of single-aisle aircraft economics.
“This next generation, low-cost single-aisle platform ensures we are building a fleet that meets and exceeds our financial targets for the next decade and beyond,” said Steve Priest, executive vice president and chief financial officer, JetBlue. “These investments allow us to advance our broader expansion plans but with disciplined, thoughtful growth.”
JetBlue remains focused on delivering earnings per share between $2.50 and $3.00 by 2020. This update to the fleet plan is part of JetBlue’s vision to continue growing its earnings per share beyond 2020.
The A321XLR also allows JetBlue to evaluate new transatlantic options as the airline explores additional destinations it may serve in Europe. The XLR opens up possibilities for service between the northeast U.S. and destinations in south, central and northern Europe.
As announced in April 2019, JetBlue intends to launch service to London from New York-JFK and Boston in 2021 using the A321LR (long range) aircraft. Today’s XLR news builds on the previously announced conversion of 13 A321neos to the A321LR aircraft.
Like London, JetBlue will explore European cities that suffer from high fares or mediocre service and those which are effectively controlled by legacy carriers and their massive joint ventures. JetBlue is developing a reimagined transatlantic version of its premium Mint product, as well as an enhanced transatlantic Core experience for the A321XLR. With both the A321LR, and now the A321XLR, the customer-favorite airline intends lower fares while raising the bar on what travelers can expect from a low-cost carrier when flying across the Atlantic.
The A220 & Continued Growth in the Americas
By exercising its option to add 10 additional A220-300 aircraft to its existing order, JetBlue will grow its total number of A220s on order to 70.
The A220’s spacious and comfortable cabin makes it the perfect fit for JetBlue, which has consistently led U.S. airlines in the onboard experience. The A220’s cabin design offers customers the best inflight experience with wider seats, spacious overhead bins and extra-large windows that offer a great view from the sky and on the ground.
The aircraft’s range and seating capacity will add flexibility to JetBlue’s network strategy as it targets growth in its focus cities, including options to schedule it for transcontinental flying. The aircraft also opens the door to new markets and routes that would have been unprofitable with JetBlue’s existing fleet.
The initial order for 60 A220 aircraft – announced in July 2018 – will be phased in as replacements for JetBlue’s existing fleet of 60 Embraer E190 aircraft.
About JetBlue Airways
JetBlue is New York’s Hometown Airline®, and a leading carrier in Boston, Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood, Los Angeles (Long Beach), Orlando, and San Juan. JetBlue carries more than 42 million customers a year to 100+ cities in the U.S., Caribbean, and Latin America with an average of more than 1,000 daily flights. For more information, please visit jetblue.com.
Le Bourget, France, June 19 (Reuters) – Airbus unveiled an aircraft deal with Taiwan’s China Airlines on Wednesday, snatching the carrier’s medium-haul fleet renewal from Boeing a day after its U.S. rival made a shock entry into the single-aisle fleet of British Airways owner IAG.
The European planemaker said China Airlines had signed a preliminary deal to buy 11 A321neo aircraft, worth about $1.4 billion at list prices, while leasing another 14.
Although much smaller than the IAG letter of intent for 200 Boeing 737 MAX announced on Tuesday, the China Airlines deal signals intensified competition in Asia where Boeing this week predicted 40 percent of jets would be delivered over the next 20 years.
Airlines can rarely be persuaded to jump ship to rival suppliers because of the costs of training and parts, but this week’s Paris Airshow has witnessed two such announcements as sold-out planemakers mount incursions to continue their growth.
In a further competitive twist, Boeing announced on Monday it would take over the supply of spare parts for the remaining Airbus A320 fleet at British Airways.
China Airlines announced the leasing part of the deal in May and Reuters reported it would pave the way for the Taiwan carrier to switch its medium-haul fleet to the Airbus A320neo.
The rare deal to replace older 737s took years to complete and was drafted before the 737 MAX was engulfed by a crisis involving two crashes and a worldwide grounding, sources said.
LE BOURGET, France, June 19 (Reuters) – Wizz Air will use 20 new extended-range, narrow body Airbus jets primarily to connect existing destinations in its disparate network rather than to fly to new places, the budget airline’s Chief Executive Jozsef Varadi said on Wednesday.
Indigo Partners, the private equity firm of veteran low-cost airline investor Bill Franke, agreed on Wednesday to acquire 50 of the new long-range version of Airbus’ A321neo jet, 20 of which will go to Wizz.
Wizz, which operates a fleet of 113 Airbus A320 and Airbus A321, would not need to change its operating model to accommodate the new A321XLR jets, Varadi said, as it would be able to fly essentially the same planes a little longer.
“Our network spans from the Canary Islands to Astana in Kazakhstan, from Reyjavik in Iceland to Dubai,” Varadi told Reuters after the announcement at the Paris Airshow.
“The XLR gives use the opportunity to connect more dots in our existing network. This is what we’re looking at.”
Airbus opened the Paris Airshow with the launch of the A321XLR, but the announcement was overshadowed on Tuesday when Boeing said British Airways-owner IAG intended to order 200 of its grounded 737 MAX jets.
Hungary-based Wizz, which is focussed on central and eastern Europe, said it had used existing option positions to secure the deal for the A321XLRs, bringing the airline’s total of outstanding firm orders for Airbus aircraft to 276 jets.
Varadi said that in the longer term, it was possible the jet would help open routes to new destinations, but it was not a priority.
“We have always been excited about planting new flags in new territories,” Varadi said. “But the vast majority of the XLR capacity will come in existing markets.”
(Reporting by Alistair Smout; Editing by Mark Potter)
