easyJet expands fleet with 15 additional Airbus A320 aircraft
European based easyJet has signed a contract to buy a further 15 A320 aircraft and to convert an existing order for 20 Airbus A319s into the larger A320 model. The agreement is part of an order book which now totals 242 Airbus A320 Family aircraft, making easyJet one of the world’s largest customers for this type.
“We are pleased to announce this agreement with Airbus. It will help deliver easyJet's strategy of continued profitable growth, whilst providing even more flight capacity for our passengers. A central feature of the agreement is the flexibility it gives easyJet to vary the growth rate in its capacity to reflect economic conditions and market opportunities," said Carolyn McCall, easyJet Chief Executive.
“This easyJet order from a world leader in low cost air travel is a great endorsement and recognition of our state of the art A320 Family. The A320 is the industry benchmark for passenger comfort, reliability, productivity and eco-efficiency,” said John Leahy, Chief Operating Officer Customers.
Today, easyJet operates a fleet of 182 Airbus A320 family aircraft. Reflecting the airline’s ambitious expansion, easyet took delivery of its first A320 family aircraft an A319 in September 2003 and of its 100th aircraft just three and a half years later in April 2007.
Airbus invests 100 million euros a year in keeping the A320 Family technology state of the art, and maintaining it as the most fuel efficient and modern aircraft family, which delivers unrivalled operating economics and also passenger cabin comfort.
Airbus aircraft share a unique cockpit and operational commonality, allowing airlines to use the same pool of pilots, cabin crews and maintenance engineers, bringing operational flexibility and resulting in significant cost savings.
The A320 Family (A318, A319, A320 and A321) is recognised as the benchmark single-aisle aircraft family. Over 6,800 Airbus A320 Family aircraft have been ordered and over 4,500 delivered to more than 310 customers and operators worldwide, making it the world’s best-selling single-aisle aircraft family.
Source: AIRBUS
