Airbus announced on Friday that Indian carrier Vistara has taken delivery of their first Airbus A321neo featuring fully flat beds in business class. The carrier will receive six A321neos on lease by Air Lease Corporation as part of a 2018 order for 50 A320neo Family Aircraft.
Today (July 24, 2020), Airbus announced that Indian carrier Vistara has received their first Airbus A321neo featuring fully lie-flat beds in business class. The delivery is the first of six A321neos the carrier will receive on lease from Air Lease Corporation and part of a larger 2018 order for 50 A320neo Family aircraft. The aircraft arrived in New Delhi from Airbus’ final assembly line in Hamburg, Germany. Vistara’s A321neo is configured with 12 Business, 24 Premium Economy and 152 Economy Class seats. All of the carrier's A321neos will be powered by CFM-Leap 1A engines and will be supported by Airbus’ Flight Hour Services Tailored Support package (FHS-TSP). The airline’s newest A321neo will complement their existing fleet of 32 Airbus A320 Family aircraft. In Friday’s announcement, Vistara’s Chief Executive Officer, Leslie Thng said,
“We are excited to welcome our first A321neo aircraft, the latest addition to our growing fleet. The new aircraft ensures operational enhancement, cost efficiency as well as reduction in carbon footprint for us while enabling extra payload capacity, greater fuel efficiency and higher range. The new cabin products on our A321 aircraft truly complement our promise of providing a premium and world-class flying experience to travellers from and to India. All of these aspects perfectly align with our international growth strategy.”
Also commenting on the delivery, Airbus’ Chief Commercial Officer, Christian Scherer added,
“In these challenging times, differentiation through efficiency, product and customer mindset is what truly matters, and we are proud to see our A321neo as an essential cornerstone in meeting Vistara’s strategic objectives for the future. Providing a competitive edge through India’s best in class business cabin as well as significant advantages in terms of operations, efficiency and environment are a truly wise way for a growing airline going forward.”
The Airbus A321neo is the largest A320 Family aircraft with the capacity for up to 240 passengers. Incorporating the latest technologies including aerodynamic advances and cabin innovations, the aircraft delivers a 20 percent fuel savings and a 50 percent reduction in noise footprint compared to previous generation aircraft. Airbus has received a total of 7,445 orders for A320neo Family aircraft to date.
TATA SIA Airlines Limited (Vistara) is a joint venture between Tata Sons Limited, with a 51 percent stake and Singapore Airlines (SIA), holding a 49 percent stake. Vistara is India’s highest rated airline, with top ratings on Skytrax and TripAdvisor as well as a 5-Star rating from APEX. In a short span of just five years, the carrier has distinguished itself for excellence in operations and service delivery. Vistara operates a fleet of 34 Airbus A320s, six Boeing 737-800NGs and one Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner. The rapidly growing airline will expand their fleet to more than 50 aircraft over the next three years including the addition of state-of-the art Airbus A321neos and Boeing 787-9 Dreamliners.
Source(s): Airbus, Vistara