Australia’s Qantas Airways Limited is backing Airbus’ new extended range A321XLR with an agreement covering 36 aircraft.
This order placed at the Paris Air Show includes the conversion of 26 existing A320neo Family orders plus a new firm order for 10 A321XLRs.
The aircraft will allow the Qantas Group, which includes low-cost carrier Jetstar, to improve its network and fleet flexibility to better serve point-to-point markets in Australia, Asia and the South Pacific.
Meanwhile, Atlantic Airways, the Faroe Islands flag carrier, also signed a purchase agreement in Paris with Airbus for two A320neo aircraft, becoming the latest A320neo customer. The engine selection will be made at a later date.
With this new order, Atlantic Airways intends to further develop its European network. The airline, an Airbus customer since 2008, already operates a fleet of three A320 Family aircraft.
US carrier Delta Air Lines also ordered five additional A220-100 aircraft in Paris, bringing to 95 the total number of orders placed, including both the A220-100s and A220-300s. The airline is the first to select the new increased maximum takeoff weight option for its entire fleet from 2020.
Saudi Arabian Airlines, the national flag carrier of Saudi Arabia, also penned an order in Paris as it expanded its existing A320neo Family order from 35 to as many as 100 NEO aircraft including 35 options. The additional firm order takes SAUDIA’s order of A320neo Family aircraft to 65 of which 15 are A321XLRs.
Middle East Airlines (MEA), the flag carrier of Lebanon, has signed a firm order for four A321XLRs, making it the launch airline customer of Airbus latest evolution of the winning A321neo family.
The agreement takes Middle East Airlines’ cumulative single aisle orders with Airbus to 15 A321neo family aircraft, including 11 A321neos and 4 A321XLRs with deliveries starting in 2020. MEA will use the A321XLR to strengthen its network in Africa and Asia.
In Asia, AirAsia signed in Paris to upsize its future Airbus single aisle fleet, converting 253 orders for the A320neo to the larger A321neo version. The change will enable the airline to offer higher capacity in response to ongoing strong demand across its network. AirAsia becomes the world’s largest customer for the A321neo.
