AirAsia X has placed a further order for 12 Airbus A330neo aircraft alongside an existing order for 30 new Airbus A321XLR aircraft. The order was anticipated and confirmed by the airline on 29 August.
Although having only been launched at the Paris Air Show, the A321XLR has attracted huge interest from airlines. The aircraft consists of an A321 which has been modified to allow its range to be beyond that of the A321LR.
The additional 12 A330neos ordered mean the airline will receive a total of 78 neos, thereby becoming the type’s largest customer.
The further order of the A321XLR means the AirAsia X group is the largest customer of the Airbus A320 family with 662 of the aircraft having been ordered.
Speaking of the new order the CEO of the AirAsia X Group, Tony Fernandes, said: “Together, these aircraft are perfect partners for long-haul low-cost operations and will allow us to build further on our market leading position in this fast-growing sector.”
Guillaume Faury, CEO of Airbus added: “This powerful solution will provide AirAsia X with the lowest possible operating costs to expand its network and enable even more people to fly further than ever before.”
Airbus has stated, the A330neo will bring AirAsia X fuel savings of 25% compared to “older generation competitor aircraft of a similar size”. The Airbus A321XLR will bring similar savings of 30% lower fuel burn than “previous generation competitor aircraft.”
