Page 10 - AAA NOVEMBER - DECEMBER 2018 Online Magazine

commercial service in Asia. The airline will be acquiring eight
aircraft on lease from BOC Aviation and all are slated for delivery
in 2019 and 2020. Lion Air also has the option to acquire four
of the aircraft at delivery. AirAsia X remains the largest airline
customer for the A330neo, with orders for 100 and will operate
the aircraft out of its bases in Malaysia, Thailand and Indonesia.
Garuda Indonesia is also one of the larger customers for the
A330-900 with 14 ordered in April 2016.
class, 96 economy plus and 168 economy
TAP A330neos Take to Air class seats delivering a three-class layout
with 298 seats. The airline has chosen
AP Air Portugal. which is the launch customer for the Recaro’s CL6710 business class seats and
type, will take delivery of further 19 new Airbus A330- CL3710 economy class seats for fitment on
900neos until the end of 2019. TAP has already received all of its A330-900neos, placing orders for
Tsix new Airbus jetliners this year: one Airbus A319ceo, more than 6,200 economy and business
one Airbus A320ceo, one A320-251neo and two A321-251neos. class seats. The CL6710 provides all pas-
The Portuguese carrier is to add 71 new aircraft by 2025.
sengers their own area with direct access
to the aisle and a completely flat bed, with a
“I am delighted to welcome the first Airbus A330- seat that moves at an ideal, predefined angle,
900 into our expanding fleet. Its unbeatable when changing positions so that the passen-
economics and efficiency will power our business ger’s body is optimally supported in the seat
forward. The new Airbus A330-900neo consume at all times.
about 20 percent less fuel than our current fleet. By
the end of next year, 37 percent of our medium haul The carrier’s A330-900s will feature
fleet will have these new generation aircraft, and in Panasonic Aero’s eX3 IFE system with
the long haul fleet more than 70 percent of the block Ku-band connectivity. TAP Air Portugal pres-
hours will be assured by these new aircraft,”
ently operates an Airbus fleet of 72 aircraft
(18 A330s, 4 A340s,and 50 A320 Family
Antonoaldo Neves, TAP Air Portugal´s CEO, following aircraft). Its single-aisle fleet includes 22
delivery of the first aircraft.
A319ceo, 21 A320ceo and four A321ceo,
one A320neo and two recently delivered
“The A330neo will give us a lot of operational flexi- A321neo (configured with 216 seats). The
bility thanks to its commonality with the other Airbus carrier began its relationship with Airbus in
aircraft in our fleet. This aircraft will be the first 1987, when three A310s were commissioned.
equipped with the new Airspace cabin, which is a
new concept shaped to meet TAP’s ambition to offer A New Offering
the best product in the industry to our passengers“.
The A330neo programme comprising the
A330-800 and A330-900 versions (which
TAP Air Portugal’s first A330-900 features 34 full-flat business

10 | November/December 2018 www.GBP.com.sg/AAA