Airbus Unveils New A321XLR Commercial Airliner, Inks A330-900 Order With Virgin Atlantic At Paris Air Show

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On the opening day of the 2019 International Paris Air Show, Airbus and Virgin Atlantic announced that Virgin Atlantic has placed a firm order for 14 of Airbus’ A330-900 commercial airliners. Valued at a list price of roughly $4.1 billion, the deal includes eight A330-900 orders and six additional A330-900s on lease from Air Lease Corporation. (Photo courtesy of Airbus.)

Commercial aircraft manufacturer Airbus wasted no time in grabbing headlines on the opening day of the 2019 International Paris Air Show yesterday. The company announced a new single-aisle A321XLR commercial airliner set for a 2023 service entry, as well as a firm order that Virgin Atlantic placed for 14 Airbus A330-900 commercial jets with a reported option for six more.

A Is For Airbus

With a list price of about $4.1 billion, the Virgin Atlantic deal breaks down to eight A330-900 aircraft and six additional A330-900s on lease from U.S.-based Air Lease Corporation. In related news, Airbus also announced in Paris that Air Lease Corporation has placed a firm order for 27 of Airbus’ A321XLRs, 23 A321neos, and 50 A220-300s.

Virgin Atlantic will reportedly replace its current A330ceos models with A300-900s from 2021 to 2024. Virgin Atlantic reportedly operates a fleet of 40 wide-body aircraft and is expected to take delivery of the first of a dozen new A350-1000s from Airbus soon. The A330neo lineup that the A330-900 belongs to is the new generation of Airbus’s A300 Family. In addition to A330-900s, A330neos are available in a smaller A330-800 version. Both versions are outfitted with Rolls-Royce Trent 7000 engines and new wingtip “sharklets.”

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Noting that the A330-800 and A330-900 share “99% commonality,” Airbus says the A330neo family in general “builds on the proven economics, versatility, and reliability of the A330 Family while reducing fuel consumption by about 25% per seat vs. previous-generation competitors and increasing range by up to 1,500 nautical miles (2,778 kilometers) compared to the majority of A330s in operation.”

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Source: Airbus

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