AirAsia Places Major Order For 100 A321NEO, Total Order Rises To 575

KUALA LUMPUR, July 13 (Bernama) -- AirAsia has signed a firm order with Airbus for the purchase of 100 A321neo aircraft, marking the first order by the low-cost carrier for the largest model in the best-selling A320 Family. The announcement at the Farnborough Airshow in England sees the total number of A320 Family ordered by AirAsia rising to 575, reaffirming its position as the largest airline customer for the Airbus single-aisle product line. Seating up to 240 passengers in a single class layout, the A321neo will enable the airline to increase capacity while benefiting from the lowest operating costs in the single-aisle category. "The A321neo will be operated on our most popular routes and especially at airports with infrastructure constraints," AirAsia Group Chief Executive Officer Tony Fernandes was quoted as saying in a statement released by Airbus. He said the new order would allow AirAsia to bring higher passenger volumes with the same slots, therefore providing immediate benefits to the airports. "These include, among others, more efficient operations, higher revenues from passenger service charges and more airport retail purchases. We will also continue to maintain our 25-minute turnaround with two- or three-step boarding where permitted to ensure on-time performance," he said. The A321neo would help AirAsia to meet ongoing strong demand as well as further reduce its cost per available seat kilometre across the group, which would translate to lower airfares for our guests, said Fernandes. "We are extremely pleased to receive this additional order from AirAsia," said Fabrice Brégier, President and Chief Executive Officer of Airbus. "This is another strong endorsement for the largest member of our single-aisle family, which is now the clear market leader in the 200-plus seat category. "We look forward to see A321neo flying in AirAsia colours and contributing to the airline's continued success as one of the world's leading low-cost carriers." The A320 Family is the world's best-selling single-aisle product line with nearly 12,600 orders since its launch and more than 7,100 aircraft delivered to some 320 operators worldwide. To date, over 170 A320s have already been delivered to the airline and are flying with its units in Malaysia, India, Indonesia, Japan and the Philippines. The A320neo Family incorporates the latest technologies including new generation engines and Sharklet wing tip devices, which together deliver more than 15 per cent in fuel savings from day one and 20 per cent by 2020 with further cabin innovations. AirAsia Group currently operates close to 1,000 flights per day to more than 120 destinations in 24 countries. It recorded a robust load factor of 85 per cent in the first quarter of 2016, up 8.0 percentage points from the same period last year, and the airline is confident of maintaining this momentum. -- BERNAMA