While orders were relatively thin on the opening day of the 2019 Dubai Airshow, day two has included large orders including a multi-billion order from Air Arabia for 120 Airbus A320neo Family Aircraft.
On day two of the 2019 Dubai Airshow, Airbus announced a major order from Air Arabia for 120 A320neo Family aircraft. The order includes 73 A320neos, 27 A321neos, and 20 A321XLRs (extra long range) models. Air Arabia is the first and largest low-cost carrier (LCC) in the Middle East and North Africa and the airline recently announced a partnership with Etihad to create the UAE’s first LCC ‘Air Arabia Abu Dhabi.’ In Monday’s announcement, Air Arabia Group’s Chief Executive Officer, Adel Al Ali said,
“Air Arabia’s fleet growth strategy has always been driven by commercial demand and we are glad to announce today one of the region’s largest single-aisle orders with Airbus to support our growth plans. This new milestone underpins not only our solid financial fundamentals but also the strength of our multi-hub growth strategy that we have adopted over the years while remaining focused on efficiency, performance, and passenger experience. The addition of the A320neo, A321neo and A321XLR complements our existing fleet and allows us to expand our service to farther and newer destinations while remaining loyal to our low-cost business model. We look forward to working with Airbus and receiving the first delivery.”
Currently, Air Arabia operates an all-Airbus fleet with 54 A320 Family aircraft. The extra long range A321XLR will deliver a range of up to 4,700 nautical miles (8,704 kilometers). The XLR model offers 15% more range that the current A321LRs operated by Air Arabia, along with a 30% fuel reduction versus previous generation aircraft from the competition. Overall, the A320neo Family promises a 50% reduction and noise and a fuel burn savings of at least 20% compared to previous generation models. At the close of October, Airbus had booked over 7,000 firm orders for A320neo Family aircraft from more than 110 customers.
Source: Airbus