Spanish Airline Air Europa has completed its negotiations with Airbus for the purchase of Airbus A350-900 aircraft.
Air Europa Airbus A350-900 – Rendering, Airbus.
The order was initially announced as a Memorandum of Understanding at the Dubai Air Show last year. The final agreement was signed off on in December by the two parities and unveiled at the Fitur trade show.
This order will form the backbone of Air Europa’s fleet renewal, offering the airline’s passengers an improved onboard experience while providing a greater cargo lift capacity, especially as the airline continues its focus on Latin America as a long-haul service provider.
It should also offer the range for new routes, with the A350-900 capable of flying 9,700 nautical miles, thereby offering an expanded operational envelope.
It marks a return to Airbus equipment for long-haul operations. In the past, the airline operated Airbus A330 aircraft, before switching to the Boeing 787 family, with the airline taking up the 787-8 and 787-9 for its long-haul operations.
Delivery timelines have not been stated at this time.
A major expansion
Air Europa is going for expansion, with up to 40 Airbus A350s joining the fleet. It’ll be a reason to celebrate at Airbus HQ as a customer defects away from Boeing.
We’ll have to see how many of the 40 aircraft that Air Europa take up from its firm order and how they integrate into the fleet. If the airline takes up the full order, it’s an expansion of 15 extra aircraft into its fleet.
Plenty of expansion space, but also lots of routes to consider in the future.
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