Sat, Jan 02, 2021
Lower Operating Costs and Performance Capabilities Touted
JetBlue has formally taken delivery of its first Airbus A220-300 aircraft, marking the start of a new era for the airline's fleet. The aircraft – tail N3008J – arrived at JetBlue's home at New York's John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK) over the weekend from Airbus's US production facility in Mobile, Ala. It is the first delivery of 70 A220 aircraft JetBlue has on order, which will be phased in to ultimately replace the existing fleet of 60 Embraer 190 aircraft.
"The A220 is a next-generation aircraft our customers and crewmembers will love, featuring impressive range and superior economics to support critical financial and operating priorities along with new network planning flexibility,” said Robin Hayes, chief executive officer, JetBlue. "And as we evolve our fleet for the future, the A220’s significant reduction in per-seat emissions supports our ongoing commitment to carbon neutrality for all our domestic flights, and moves us closer to achieving our pledge of net zero carbon emissions across all operations by 2040.”
The A220 boasts a nearly 30 percent lower direct operating cost per seat than the current E190. The A220 fleet will also help to further reset JetBlue's maintenance costs well into the decade. The airline anticipates the A220 fleet, with improved reliability and longer maintenance intervals, will have a maintenance cost per seat that is more than 40 percent lower than E190s.
"JetBlue has revolutionized air travel, and we at Airbus are proud that our 20-year relationship has played a role in the airline’s many successes," said C. Jeffrey Knittel, Chairman & CEO Airbus Americas, Inc. "This first A220-300 delivery creates new route possibilities for JetBlue, and raises their passenger experience to even higher standards."
The A220 is powered by Pratt & Whitney GTF engines, which reportedly deliver double-digit improvements in fuel and carbon emissions.
“This delivery marks another big milestone for JetBlue and Pratt & Whitney,” said Rick Deurloo, chief commercial officer and senior vice president at Pratt & Whitney. “We are honored that JetBlue has operated Pratt & Whitney-powered aircraft since the very beginning – and that JetBlue has selected GTF-powered aircraft for the airline’s next-generation fleets. We look forward to supporting JetBlue’s expansion and their commitment to sustainable aviation.”
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