Airbus signed a memorandum of understanding with the American investment fund Indigo Partners for the purchase of 430 aircraft from A320neo family, within the framework of Dubai Air Show. The acquired aircraft will be distributed among four airlines operated by the fund: Frontier Airlines (USA), JetSMART (Chile), Volaris (Mexico) and Wizz Air (Hungary).
In particular, it is expected that Frontier will receive 100 A320neo and 34 A321neo, while JetSMART will receive 56 A320neo and 14 A321neo. The Mexican airline Volaris will expand its fleet with 46 A320neo and 34 A321neo and the Hungarian Wizz Air will receive 72 A320neo and 74 A321neo. The choice of engines will be made later.
“This impressive order for 430 aircraft confirms our optimism about the further growth of the budget air travel market, as well as the confidence in the A320neo family, which will be the basis of this growth”, said the statement of American investment fund Indigo Partners. “Our airlines know that a good airplane and the right business plan are the main ingredients for successful development. We are confident that the ordered aircraft will allow our airlines to offer passengers even more comfort in flight and more attractive rates”, adds the statement.
The ordered aircraft include 273 A320neo and 157 A321neo with a total catalog cost of 49.5 billion USD, which is the largest single order received by Airbus in the company’s history. In addition, thanks to the new agreement, as well as previously placed orders for 427 aircraft from A320 family, Indigo Partners is becoming one of the world’s largest customers of narrow-bodied Airbus aircraft.
“Indigo Partners has been the customer of our aircraft for many years”, said the Commercial Director of Airbus, John Leahy. “The order received today is impressive, but the fact that it is placed by a professional aviation team that knows our product well is especially pleasant. We are pleased that our aircraft will fly on different continents, offering operators low operating costs, long range and the most spacious cabin”, added he.
Aircraft of the A320neo family embody all the most advanced aircraft manufacturing technologies, including new engines and Sharklets wingtip devices, which reduce fuel consumption by 20%. Since the launch of the program in December 2010, more than 5200 aircraft of the A320neo 95 family have been sold to customers. Aircraft of the A320neo family confidently occupy 60% of the market of equipment sales in this class.
