Australian low-fare airline, Jetstar has unveiled the cabin for its next-generation Airbus A321neo long range (LR) aircraft, set to join the fleet in August next year.
The first airline in Australia and the Pacific to operate the A321LR, Jetstar will deploy 18 of the aircraft on domestic routes, and ultimately on some international routes such as Sydney to Bali.
As the aircraft can fly 1,200km further than the current generation of A321s, the airline said it could enable new city pairs such as Avalon to Bali, Melbourne to Nadi (Fiji) and Cairns to Auckland.
“Our new NEOs give us some exciting new destination options which we will be reviewing over the next 12 months,” Jetstar Group CEO, Gareth Evans commented. “The arrival of our NEOs will also add capacity on popular routes with the potential to free up some Boeing 787 flying for use on other, longer international leisure routes.”
The aircraft will seat 232 passengers in a single class cabin, with Evans commenting: “With 15 per cent fuel saving, our new NEOs have been designed to offer maximum comfort for the lowest fares.”
The aircraft will be equipped with the CFM LEAP engines which are expected to reduce fuel burn by approximately 15% and aircraft noise footprint by 50%.
With this, and advanced weather detection technology, the airline believes pilots will be able to plot more fuel-efficient flight paths.
Evans added: “We expect our neos to save one point two million kilograms of fuel per year compared with our current generation aircraft. That’s a reduction of almost 4,000 tonnes of emissions or removing 1,500 cars from the road each year.”
“To further minimise fuel burn, our neos will be painted using a new weight-saving technique and will operate with lightweight galley carts and freight containers, removing 170kg from each flight.
Inside the A321LR
Unveiling the cabin interior of the A321LR, Jetstar Group CEO Gareth Evans commented: “Combining a smaller environmental footprint together with wider, ergonomic seats, greater stowage and in-flight streaming for personal devices, we think customers are going to love them.”
The cabin will feature ergonomic Recaro seats with tapered arm rests which aim to maximise space. Seats will also host flip-down smartphone and tablet cradles, as well as in-seat USB power.
Passengers will also be able to enjoy digital streaming of Jetstar’s in-flight entertainment on their personal devices, featuring new release movies, TV shows and games.
The cabin boasts extra-large overhead bins with 40% more room to stow bags, as well as colour LED lighting that adjusts to the different stages of flight.
The aircraft form part of the Qantas Groups’ order for 109 A321neo aircraft.
