Day 3 of the Singapore Air Show has been done and dusted, with a couple more announcements from the show. Let us dive in.
ATR Aircraft
We’ll start with ATR Aircraft, with Air Tahiti planning to increase its ATR72-600 fleet, to its fleet of 10. These will be used to provide connectivity in French Polynesia’s communities.
Airbus
Vietjet came out of the traps today, as it sniffs long haul possibilities after Bamboo Airways pulled back from international servie, with the airline signing a memorandum of understanding for 20 Airbus A330neo aircraft.
The airline has selected the A330-900 as its preferred widebody. .
When finalised, this will be Vietjet’s first-ever widebody order. The aircraft will be operated on the carrier’s growing long-range network, as well as on high-capacity regional services. They will replace the carrier’s current fleet of leased A330-300s, as well as providing for network expansion, with Europe and Asia in their sights
In Quotes
Vietjet Chief Executive Officer Dinh Viet Phuong said,
“The new A330neo aircraft is a strategic addition to comprehensively modernise Vietjet’s fleet, enhancing operational capabilities to support our global flight network expansion plan. Its fuel-efficient new-generation design aligns with our sustainable development strategy and ESG goals, aiming for net-zero emissions by 2050. With the introduction of the A330neo, passengers can look forward to longer-range, well-equipped flights with excellent services at more competitive fares.”
Christian Scherer, CEO of the Commercial Aircraft business of Airbus added
“We are excited to work with Vietjet on the next phase of the carrier’s expansion,”
“The A330neo will enable the airline to achieve the lowest possible operating costs per seat and to continue to offer its customers the best possible value wherever they fly. It will also be the perfect complement to the A321XLRs already on order with the airline, as it spreads its wings to more far flung destinations.”
It goes without saying that the Memorandum of Understanding will need to be converted into a firm order somewhere along the line.
That’s it for Day 3
Whilst it’s been a quiet show so far (in terms of commercial aircraft orders), it’s interesting to note that most of the orders have been for widebody aircraft (such as the Airbus A330 and the Boeing 787), rather than the mega-orders for narrowbody aircraft.
COMAC still have made waves with their announcements – although they will have to work on certification programmes if they want to sell their aircraft outside China – but they’ve made their wave showing off the C919 in flight and as static.
We’ll keep an eye out if there’s anything tomorrow, as it is the final trade day at the Singapore Air Show.
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