AirAsia orders 40 more A320 Family aircraft
Tags :
Southeast Asia,
AirAsia
Toulouse (AIRBUS) - AirAsia, the region's fastest growing low cost carrier, has signed a contract for 40 more A320 Family aircraft, and taken another 30 on option.
Over time they will completely replace the Boeing 737-300 fleet
currently operated by the AirAsia Group, which comprises AirAsia in
Malaysia, Thai AirAsia in Thailand and AirAsia Indonesia. All A320
aircraft will be configured with 180 seats.
"The A320 has heralded a new era for AirAsia. The sophistication of
these aircraft has enhanced our image and brand and enabled us to
capture a wider market segment than previously. The superiority of the
A320s in terms of fuel burn, maintenance requirements, increased
capacity, wider cabin and larger cargo payload, has allowed us to have
greater operational efficiency, while ensuring that our cost
optimization program remains as the lowest in the world," said Datuk
Tony Fernandes, Group CEO, AirAsia Berhad.
AirAsia is one of many low cost carriers (LCC) from the Asia-Pacific
region to introduce A320 Family aircraft, with 12 LCC from Australia,
India, Indonesia, Japan, New Zealand, Philippines and Singapore already
having the aircraft in service. More than 520 Airbus A320 Family
aircraft are in service with 39 airlines in Asia-Pacific, with total
orders from the region now close to 1,000 aircraft. The A320 Family has
a widespread reputation for high dispatch reliability on short hops,
with wide aisles facilitating quick turnarounds for efficient
operations.
"Over the past years, the A320 Family has proven to be the
outstandingly popular choice with both start-up and established
low-cost carriers in the Asia Pacific region, and I am delighted that
the popularity of the A320 with AirAsia and its discerning passengers
has resulted in this latest vote of confidence in the aircraft. With
its superb economics and high passenger appeal, the A320 is winner that
will further spur AirAsias success," said Mr Christian Streiff,
President and CEO of Airbus.
The A320 is a member of Airbus' single-aisle Family, comprising the
A318, A319, A320 and A321 and has a seat capacity between 107 and 220
seats. It is the fastest selling aircraft family with over 4,300 sold
so far. This Family offers a range of essential benefits to low cost
airlines: Wider aisles and full-scale service doors, as well as a
bigger, more accessible cargo area enabling faster turnaround times.
Furthermore the A320 Family aircraft are equipped with the biggest
overhead storage space in their class for more convenient storage of
modern roll-aboard luggage.
Other AirAsia News |