UK-based ULCC easyJet has deferred deliveries of 24 Airbus A320neo-series aircraft as it seeks to maximize its liquidity in the face of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Operators of Pratt & Whitney-powered Airbus A320neos face fast-tracked inspection mandates to help eliminate the risk of engine turbine blade fractures caused by mid-frame turbine piston seal debris that have been plaguing older blades.
Grappling with sliding profits and slowing demand due to the COVID-19 coronavirus outbreak, Air New Zealand will now take delivery of a number of aircraft later than planned.
Airbus needs another 18 months or so to catch up with A320neo family deliveries and aims to produce 65-67 per month from 2023, up from 63 in 2021, company CEO Guillaume Faury said.
Despite economic uncertainty, trade tensions and headwinds compounded by the Coronavirus outbreak, the Asia-Pacific region—and China in particular—remains pivotal to Boeing’s fortunes and the best hope for offsetting the commercial slowdown, a company executive said.
Airbus will build another final assembly line for the A321neo in Toulouse, a consequence of high demand for the aircraft and serious production problems at its Hamburg site.
Fractured mid-turbine frame (MTF) piston seals have been linked to about half of the Pratt & Whitney PW1100G-JM engine failures reported by Indian carriers that damaged low-pressure turbines (LPTs)—leading to a Pratt service bulletin recommending inspections, India’s Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) said.
Spirit Airlines has firmed up an order for 100 Airbus A320neo-family aircraft with options to purchase 50 more, as the South Florida-based budget carrier looks to double its all-A320 fleet to 300 aircraft over the next decade.
Philippine LCC Cebu Pacific announced in a stock exchange filing that it has signed a purchase agreement with Airbus for 10 Airbus A321XLRs and five A320neos.
Greek carrier Aegean Airlines is planning 7.8% capacity growth in 2020, supported by the introduction of six initial Airbus A320neo-family aircraft, which are scheduled to arrive during the year.
JetBlue has followed fellow US carriers American Airlines and Frontier by selecting Airbus' longest-range narrow-body jet for the next phase of its expansion as it seeks to open more point-to-point destinations in Europe.
Honk Kong-based regional carrier Cathay Dragon is poised to expand its operations in the region after signing an agreement for 32 Airbus A321neo aircraft.
