Indigo Partners and three of its airlines will acquire 50 of the new Airbus A321XLR long-range, single-aisle aircraft.
The memorandum of understanding signed at the Paris Air Show today includes new orders for 32 A321XLRs and the conversion of 18 existing A320neo family orders.
Indigo Partners, based in Phoenix, Arizona, is a private equity fund focused on worldwide investments in air transportation.
Indigo has major ownership stakes in four low-cost airlines, including Frontier Airlines (U.S.), JetSMART (Chile), Volaris (Mexico) and Wizz Air (Hungary). The four carriers now operate a combined 295 Airbus aircraft and, with the new commitments, have 636 on order.
Of the 50 ordered, 20 of the A321XLRs will be allocated to Wizz Air, 18 to Frontier, and 12 to JetSMART.
Airbus announced the launch of the A321XLR at the Paris Air Show. Derived from the A321neo, the A321XLR is the longest-range single-aisle commercial jetliner ever, capable of flying routes up to 4,700nm with unbeatable fuel efficiency.
The aircraft manufacturer said with a range previously found only in twin-aisle aircraft, A321XLR will enable airlines to “exploit new route opportunities with low operating costs, reduced environmental impact, and provide passengers with a comfortable travel experience”.
