After some delays, and a change of first operator – Airbus have delivered the first production Airbus A320neo to Lufthansa.
The first A320neo to be delivered to Lufthansa, along with top brass of United Technologies, Pratt & Whitney, Lufthansa and Airbus. Shame Lufthansa couldn’t afford to paint the word “neo” next to the designation of it’s new plane.
For both Airbus and Lufthansa, its a big leap forward as the A320neo moves from an idea to a test aircraft to a product that can be sold and delivered to customers.
The changes for the A320neo are focused on the engines – the engines delivered on the first A320neo to Lufthansa feature Pratt & Whitney PurePower Geared Turbofan engines along with aerodynamic improvements and Sharklets wingtip devices – giving 15% less fuel burn than current aircraft.
Initial planes have been certified with the Pratt & Whitney Engine, whilst planes with CFM International LEAP-1A engine will fly at a late date.
With Lufthansa becoming the first customer to have their A320neo delivered, Qatar Airways (who was originally meant to have the first A320neo delivered) will now be the second carrier to fly, followed by Indigo of India.
Lufthansa intend to introduce the A320neo into service on the 24th January 2016 between Frankfurt and Hamburg – however, no exact flight details have been revealed yet.
Airbus has a lot of work to do with the A320neo Family – with almost 4,500 orders received from nearly 80 customers since its launch in 2010, there’s a lot of aircraft to be built.
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