Azul Linhas Aéreas is in the process of expanding its fleet, with the airline firming up an order for three Airbus A330-900neo.
The order will bring the airline’s total fleet of A330neo aircraft to eight. The airline is an operator of the previous generation Airbus A330-200, as well as the current generation A350-900.
Azul received the Americas’ first A330neo in 2019 and operates 12 A330 Family aircraft. For the airline, it marks a steady expansion of its long-haul fleet. The airline has selected the payload-optimised version of the A330neo, which is based on the Airbus A330 family. The A330neo brings new engines from Rolls Royce, along with aerodynamic and weight improvements.
For passengers, it brings the Airspace cabin. which features a redesigned welcome area, enhanced mood lighting, larger and modern overhead compartments and new window and lavatory designs.
In Quotes
John Rodgerson, Chief Executive Officer of Azul said
“We are delighted to have secured three more next-gen Airbus widebody aircraft for the upcoming years. This reaffirms our position as the airline with the most modern fleet in the region, with 70 percent of our capacity coming from fuel-efficient and environmentally friendly aircraft,”
Christian Scherer, Chief Commercial Officer and Head of Airbus International.
“We applaud Azul’s decision that shows their forward looking strategy and proves the economics and performance of the A330neo are most compelling. The A330neo is the perfect tool to support Azul in expanding its fleet with the right-sized, modern widebody, leveraging the latest technology and efficiency and contributing to reducing CO2,”
Taking the new fleet forward
In the coming weeks, Azul will start operating four A350-900s to further expand its route offering, whilst benefitting from the Airbus commonality concept.
For Azul, a slow measured expansion is a good thing, with the airline being able to react in a reasonable timeframe, without the weight of an underutilised fleet.
It’ll be interesting to see where they send their long-haul fleet next.
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