Air New Zealand orders Airbus A320s to replace Boeing 737-300s
Air New Zealand has ordered 14 Airbus A320 aircraft to replace its existing domestic fleet of 15 Boeing 737-300s. The aircraft will be powered by IAE V2500 engines as are Air New Zealand’s existing fleet of A320s.
The carrier says the A320, which is larger than the B737s it will replace, will enable it to increase capacity on routes that are starting to face capacity constraints at some airports during peak times. Air New Zealand has also placed purchase options for a further 11 A320s while also reserving the option of selecting the larger A321.
“Our 12 Airbus A320s already deployed on short haul international routes are performing well, and moving to one single-aisle aircraft type for both domestic and short haul international routes will immediately deliver added efficiencies in maintenance, crew training, and overall fleet simplification,” said Bruce Parton, Air New Zealand General Manager Short Haul Airline.
The airline’s existing 12 A320 fleet have an average age of five years, and are achieving an average of 11 hours daily utilisation.
Chief Operating Officer, Customers for Airbus Industrie says: “Air New Zealand will reap the benefits of selecting a common family of aircraft across their domestic and short haul single-aisle fleet. The A320 prevailed in the stiffest of competitions to show once again, that it is the single aircraft of choice bar none. We are delighted to build on our already close relationship with Air New Zealand with this announcement.”
