Toulouse, 20 November 2018 – Airbus has reached an agreement with easyJet that extends the airline’s fleet plans into 2023, exercising purchase rights to firm orders for 17 A320neo. This takes its combined order for the NEO to 147 (including 30 A321neo) and means easyJet has ordered 468 A320 Family aircraft to date.
“This repeat order cements easyJet’s position as the largest European operator of our leading A320 family,” says Christian Scherer, Airbus Chief Commercial Officer. “We are delighted that our aircraft keep contributing to easyJet’s ongoing success.”
The aircraft are configured with 186 seats in a single class configuration and powered by Leap CFM engines.
easyJet currently operates a fleet of 316 A320 Family including 17 A320neo and three A321neo, making it the world’s largest airline operator of Airbus’ single aisle aircraft. easyJet serves over 130 European airports in some 31 countries operating over 1000 routes.
The A320neo family is the world’s best-selling single aisle aircraft with more than 6,200 orders from over 100 customers since its launch in 2010. It incorporates latest technologies including new generation engines and Sharklet wing tip devices, which together deliver more than 15 percent in fuel savings from day one and 20 percent by 2020 with further cabin innovations. The A320neo also offers significant environmental performance with nearly 50 percent reduction in noise footprint compared to previous generation aircraft.
Per easyJet:
easyJet is pleased to announce that it has reached an agreement with Airbus that extends easyJet fleet plans into 2023, delivers more flexibility into the schedule and secures valuable delivery slots at a time when the Airbus order book has limited availability. In particular the agreement includes:
· The exercise of purchase rights resulting in firm orders for 17 A320neo under the existing framework agreement signed in 2013. These aircraft are subject to a very substantial discount from the list price8 and are expected to be funded through a combination of easyJet's internal resources, cash flow, sale and leaseback transactions and debt.
· The deferral of delivery dates of 18 A320neo aircraft by up to 24 months.
· The conversion of 25 purchase rights for A320neo into purchase options, which has the primary purpose of securing delivery slots in 2024.
This provides additional flexibility to easyJet's existing plans: by 2022 easyJet could increase its fleet size to 385 or reduce it to 316, using existing Airbus delivery arrangements and operating lease optionality.