Hot on the heels of their Skytrax awards success, AirAsia confirms 66 A330neo for AirAsia’s long haul affiliate, AirAsia X. In addition, AirAsia X, has placed an order with Airbus for an additional 34 A330neo widebody aircraft.
The order was announced at the Farnborough Air Show in the UK by AirAsia Co-Founder and AirAsia X Group CEO, Kamarudin Meranun. Chairman of AirAsia X, Rafidah Aziz and Airbus CCO Eric Schulz, were also present.
The latest agreement confirms AirAsia X as the largest airline customer for the A330neo, with the updated orderbook total of 100 aircraft. All the A330neo aircraft ordered by AirAsia X are the larger A330-900 model.
When and where can I fly the A330-900?
AirAsia X will be the first airline in Asia to operate the A330neo and will be operated by AirAsia X out of its bases in Malaysia, Thailand and Indonesia. Deliveries of the aircraft on order with Airbus are scheduled to start in Q4 2019.
With a range capability enabling non-stop services to Europe, travellers can look forward to the return of Kuala Lumpur to London and possibly other destinations. The A330neo allows AirAsia X to expand its value-based long haul model with lower operating costs, hopefully with more competitive fares.
….. Long haul low-cost is something we strongly believe in, and this order shows our confidence in the AirAsia X model. Kamarudin Meranun
He added that AirAsia lobbied hard for the A330neo after seeing the success of the A320neo. AirAsia flies an all Airbus fleet. and every aspect of the A330neo from technical performance and reliability to passenger comfort was thoroughly scrutinised in making the decision.
AirAsia Co-Founder and AirAsia X Co-Group CEO Tony Fernandes confirmed the thorough evaluation and thanked Eric Schulz, Airbus CCO. He commented that AirAsia is “a tough customer but we get behind a product we know is right.”
…. We are extremely pleased to announce this important agreement with AirAsia X. This is the strongest possible endorsement for the unbeatable operating economics, performance and cost-effectiveness that the A330neo brings to the market in its size category. Eric Schulz
About the A330-900
The A330neo is the latest version of the twin aisle A330 Family. The aircraft incorporates
- new generation Rolls-Royce Trent 7000 engines
- a new optimised wing
- increased use of lighter composite materials
These advances combine to bring a significant reduction in fuel consumption of 25% compared with older generation, similar-sized aircraft.
Passengers can expect the highest levels of comfort when flying on the A330neo. The aircraft features the award-winning Airspace by Airbus cabin, originally designed for the larger A350 XWB.
This design features
- newly designed sidewalls and fixtures
- larger overhead storage
- advanced cabin mood lighting
- the latest in-flight entertainment and connectivity
The A330 Family is one of the most successful widebody product lines, with over 1,700 orders from 120 customers. More than 1,400 A330s are flying with over 120 operators worldwide. Including AirAsia’s order, the A330neo has already won some 250 firm orders prior to entry-into-service.
The A330neo is currently nearing completion of its flight test programme. The aircraft will enter commercial service in September following Certification.
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