Order Includes 35 New Aircraft, 18 Upsized Models, Launches 'Sharklets' Retrofit Program

Just days after taking delivery of its very first A321 aircraft, JetBlue Airways has placed a new order for 15 A321ceo and 20 A321neo aircraft. In addition, the airline has opted to upsize 8 A320ceo and 10 A320neo aircraft currently on backlog to 8 A321ceo and 10 A321neo, respectively. This order marks the 10,000th order for an Airbus A320 Family aircraft.

"We are pleased to convert some of our A320 positions to A321s, and order additional A321s to better match capacity with demand," said JetBlue President and CEO Dave Barger. "The A321 is the ideal aircraft for our high density markets. In addition, a subfleet of the A321s will power our Mint premium service on the New York-Los Angeles and New York-San Francisco markets. It is the right aircraft for JetBlue's lucrative routes. We eagerly look forward to the Sharklet retrofits and -NEO aircraft to further reduce operating costs."

Since its launch in the 1984, the A320 Family has continued to evolve with the demands of the market, with the latest innovations being the A320neo and the Sharklets fuel saving wing tip devices. The A320neo features fuel-efficient new engines which bring enhanced range, and Sharklets which result in up to four percent reduced fuel burn. The A320neo is the fastest selling commercial aircraft ever, with some 60 percent of the market in sales. Nearly 2,400 NEO aircraft have been sold since the program’s launch.
 
“JetBlue launched its business with an all-Airbus fleet, demonstrating they are a forward-thinking airline,” said John Leahy, Airbus Chief Operating Officer – Customers. “The fact that they are turning to the NEO and larger Airbus aircraft overall makes it clear that they know how to please their passengers and maximize profits. In addition, JetBlue has always been a great partner in the Airbus Sharklet program and have been instrumental in our ability to launch the in-service retrofit option.”

Bloomberg News reports that the purchase of the additional Airbus aircraft is causing the airline to delay deliveries of some Embraer E190 airplane it had ordered. Those smaller regional jets are now expected to join the airline between 2020 and 2022, rather than in the next five years.

(Image provided by Airbus)

FMI: www.airbus.com, www.jetblue.com