by Bikram Vohra
Even as the A350F targets the Boeing 747 freighter market the US manufacturer is seriously considering upping the stakes in this category with the stretched 777XF to take on the European competitor. On Day 2 of the Dubai Airshow Airbus striking gold was the top talk.
In a sweet tweet it said: Indigo Partners airlines order 255 #A321neo/#A321XLR – allowing @WizzAir@FlyFrontier@FlyVolaris@VuelaJetSMART to “continue to offer low fares, […] and improve their industry-leading sustainability profile.”
Wizz Air (Hungary), Frontier (United States), Volaris (Mexico) and JetSMART (Chile, Argentina), Indigo Partners portfolio airlines new order brings the total number of aircraft ordered by the Indigo Partners’ airlines to 1,145 A320 Family aircraft. The aircraft ordered today are a mix of A321neos and A321XLRs, which will be delivered to the individual airlines as follows:
Wizz Air: 102 aircraft (75 A321neo + 27 A321XLR)
Frontier: 91 aircraft (A321neo)
Volaris: 39 aircraft (A321neo)
JetSMART: 23 aircraft (21 A321neo + 2 A321XLR)
That narrow body purchase is right up there with the big ones and gives Airbus a major sales edge in the single aisle fleet purchase. These are not whistles in the wind. Airbus Chief Commercial Officer Christian Scherer has been quoted as saying traffic will fully recover between 2023 and 2025 if not more swiftly and we can see a 3.5% annual rise in traffic globally.
One might recall that Emirates has 126 B777X’s on order and Boeing can find comfort in that attractive order luring more carriers to consider its viability at least for its cost efficiency and 10% less fuel burn.
Meanwhile the UAE Ministry of Defence signs Dh5.23 billion worth of contracts and there should be more specifically in the drone and UAV categories bringing the deals for the day to $137 billion.
Two rather interesting innovations come from Lufthansa’s sundeck concept that stretched out from a 737 on the ground to create a yacht experience though no one is quite sure how much a lure that is. pass the suntan oil please.
Embraer also brings it shock liveried E2 Profit Hunter. It is marketed as the world’s most efficient single-aisle aircraft delivering 25.4% better fuel burn per seat and 10% better fuel burn compared to its direct competitor according to the Brazilian manufacturer.
And up in in the sky India’s Tejas LCA aerobatic team from the IAF and the Sarang choppers create a tapestry of incredible flying skills that dra spontaneous applause. So top draw it makes one proud.
