Vistara took delivery of a brand new Airbus A321neo today – which will feature business class flatbed seats installed.
Vistara’s first Airbus A321neo – Image, Airbus.
The aircraft was delivered from the Airbus Hamburg Final Assembly line to New Delhi. It marks the first of six A321neo to be delivered to Vistara, which the airline is leasing from Air Lease Corporation. They are part of a 50 aircraft order signed in 2018.
Configuration of the aircraft is in a three-class setup, with a total of 186 seats. This is split by
- 12 Business Class Seats. These will feature 84″ Flatbed seats, with a 63″ seat pitch, a 16″ IFE screen with an IFE controller and USB and Main power outlet, in a 2-2 formation. The seats are the Collins Aerospace Diamond seat (a solid choice as I’ve discovered on my travels).
Vistara Business Class Seat – Image, Vistara
- 24 Premium Economy Class Seats. These are configured with a 33″ seat pitch, a 10″ IFE screen and USB and mains power outlets. They’re in a 3-3 formation.
Vistara Premium Economy – Image, Vistara.
- 152 Economy Class seats, with “up to” 29” seat pitch, 10″ IFE screen. and USB and mains power outlets. These are in a 3-3 formation.
Vistara Economy Class – Image, Vistara.
All Vistara A321neo aircraft will be powered by latest-generation CFM-Leap 1A engines. These new aircraft join the existing fleet of 34 Airbus A320 family aircraft, six Boeing 737-800 and single Boeing 787.
In Quotes
Leslie Thng, Chief Executive Officer, Vistara said
“We are excited to welcome our first A321neo aircraft, the latest addition in our growing fleet. The new aircraft ensures operational enhancement, cost efficiency as well as reduction in carbon footprint for us while enabling extra payload capacity, greater fuel efficiency and higher range. The new cabin products on our A321 aircraft truly complement our promise of providing a premium and world-class flying experience to travellers from and to India. All of these aspects perfectly align with our international growth strategy,”
Christian Scherer, Chief Commercial Officer, Airbus said
“In these challenging times, differentiation through efficiency, product and customer mindset is what truly matters, and we are proud to see our A321neo as an essential cornerstone in meeting Vistara’s strategic objectives for the future,”
“Providing a competitive edge through India’s best in class business cabin as well as significant advantages in terms of operations, efficiency and environment are a truly wise way for a growing airline going forward.”
Routes to be decided
At the time of publication, Vistara has not disclosed where it wishes to deploy the A321neo. With a range of 4,000nm, it opens up options for both Europe and Asia should the airline wish to use it on “thin and long” routes (something the Airbus A321neo is fast falling into a role it’s fitting).
It will be interesting to see where they choose to deploy them, once things settle down.
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