Air Greenland is to update its long haul operation, with the airline ordering an Airbus A330-800neo.
Air Greenland Airbus A330-800neo – Rendering, Airbus.
The new A330-800 will replace the airline’s ageing Airbus A330-200ceo to secure operations linking the Arctic island with Denmark from the end of 2022 onwards and beyond.
At the time of the announcement, no configuration has been set for the aircraft. The current aircraft is configured in a two-class configuration, with 30 Business Class seats and 248 Economy seats. However, the aircraft will utilise the Airspace by Airbus cabin concept to improve the in-cabin experience (including lighting IFE and connectivity). Like all members of the A330neo family, it will feature Rolls Royce Trent 7000 engines and wings with Sharklets.
As well as operating the A330, the airline also operates seven De Havilland Canada DHC-8-200 and one Beechcraft B200 King Air, used for connecting services within Greenland – with the A330 used to connect Greenland to Europe.
In Quotes
Air Greenland’s CEO’s Jacob Nitter Sørensen said
“The A330neo is a fundamental part of Air Greenland’s fleet strategy. The new aircraft will, for years to come, offer travellers to and from Greenland a unique inflight experience while leaving the lowest carbon footprint possible. The A330neo is a perfect fit for the very challenging task of providing safe and efficient all year passenger, cargo and freight services to and from Greenland.”
Christian Scherer, Airbus Chief Commercial Officer said
“We’re pleased to see Air Greenland renew its confidence in the A330 Family and join the growing number of operators who are selecting the A330neo as a logical replacement for their ageing fleets,”
“To imagine the airline’s distinctive red livery set against the Arctic’s environment provides some Christmas cheer at the end of a year that has been harsh for our entire industry.”
Slow and Steady sales for the A330-800neo
Whilst the A330neo has been a good seller for Airbus, there are two variants of the type. The larger A330-900neo has been more popular with 318 orders made for the type so far. Meanwhile, the range optimised Airbus A330-800neo has 14 orders for the smaller aircraft, with Kuwait Airways and Uganda Airlines.
For Airbus, there is a high degree of commonality between the two aircraft, allowing them to use the same line to assemble them.
With the mid-size aircraft and the purposes Air Greenland are to use, it will help lift cargo and passengers into the future.
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