Abra Group (the holding company for Avianca, Gol, and Wamos) is continuing its expansion with the airline adding 57 Airbus aircraft to its fleet.
The Group has chosen to sign leases for up to seven Airbus A330-900neo aircraft. These will be used to strengthen the group’s long-haul activities between the Americas and Europe, while ensuring the availability of aircraft. They will join the five A350s, which were added to the backlog in 2024.
Interestingly, in the release, these could be operated by any of the group’s airlines – subject to market-driven operational and financial opportunities at the time of their integration. In theory, this could mean Avianca, Gol or Wamos taking delivery of the new aircraft.
Abra Group has a strong pipeline of upcoming deliveries — 88 Airbus A320neo aircraft and 96 Boeing 737 Max aircraft. To strengthen its pipeline, Abra has exercised 50 options for Airbus A320neo aircraft, bringing the total number of this model to 138 units, to be delivered by 2032.
Abra will receive its first A320neo with an Airspace cabin from this order toward the end of 2025, and it will be integrated into Avianca’s fleet. This next-generation aircraft will transform the passenger experience with enhanced features, including more overhead bin space in XL compartments — offering up to 60% more room than current cabins — and dynamic LED lighting that adjusts to each phase of the flight. Additionally, all these aircraft will feature three rows of Premium seats in a two-per-side configuration, exclusively developed by Recaro for Avianca, representing a unique product in the region.
These 138 aircraft will be added to the Group’s order of 96 Boeing 737 Max aircraft, scheduled for delivery between now and 2030, giving Abra a total portfolio of 234 narrowbody aircraft in the coming years.
In Quotes
Adrian Neuhauser, CEO of Abra, said:
“This announcement confirms that we continue to make the necessary investments aligned with our commitment to provide millions of people with greater
access to air travel, consolidating our position as one of the largest and most competitive airline groups in Latin America. Our incremental A320neo order ensures the replacement and growth needs of our current narrowbody fleet. It also strengthens our international growth strategy to better connect Latin America with itself and the world through a more efficient fleet.”
Benoît de Saint-Exupéry, Executive Vice President of Sales, Airbus Commercial Aircraft, added
“We are proud that Abra Group has selected Airbus’s emblematic aircraft: the A350, the A330neo and A320neo as key elements of its fleet expansion strategy, further expanding our strategic cooperation,”
. “The choice of the A350, driven by its superior performance and economic efficiency, reaffirms its undisputed leadership in long-haul operations. The A330neo is a next-generation, best-in-class complement to Abra’s current A330 operation. We are also excited that, in the near future, passengers will be able to enjoy the Airbus Airspace cabin on Avianca’s A320neo, offering unmatched comfort.”
Bigger than you think
It’s always interesting diving into companies some days. Abra Group’s registered office is based in all places… wait for it… St Albans in the United Kingdom, whilst its Corporate office is in Bogotá, Colombia.
Abra operates as the leadership front for Gol (a Brazilian Airline) and Avianca (and all its subbrands), whilst holding a strategic investment in Wamos Air.
In terms of fleet, Gol operates 139 Boeing 737 family aircraft. Avianca operates more than 140 A320 and B787 passenger aircraft, as well as 6 cargo aircraft, whilst Wamos operated 13 Airbus A330 aircraft used for ACMI operations.
Given the mass orders that have been made and exercised, Abra Group has a lot of options where to place its upcoming fleet, where to expand operations, what to replace or what to do.
As usual, the market will help Abra Group decide where to send its fleet, along with the new capacity it brings.
Economy Class and Beyond is brought to you by Kevin. They provide a no-nonsense guide to aviation network news, passenger experience insights, honest reviews, in-depth coverage, unique research, as well as the humour and madness I only know how to deliver.
Our Social Media pool has expanded. You can find us across most networks as @economybeyond on BlueSky, Threads, Mastodon and Instagram!
Also, remember that we are part of the BoardingArea community, bringing you the latest frequent flyer news from around the world.
Leave a Reply