India’s largest domestic airline IndiGo added an A321 Neo aircraft to its fleet, taking its total fleet size to 245. With the latest addition, IndiGo became the first Indian airline with 245 planes. The carrier will also add another seven A321 Neo aircraft by January 2020.
A321 Neo planes are for longer range and have a slightly higher capacity than A320 planes. It is equipped with the Pratt & Whitney PW1133G Turbofan engines and configured with a 222-seat layout. The aircraft was produced in Hamburg, Germany. IndiGo is the world’s biggest customer for the A320neo Family, according to a statement released by Airbus.
The aircraft also marks Airbus’ 1,000th A320 Neo family aircraft delivery.
“We are delighted to add another A321 Neo in our fleet as we continue to expand our domestic and international operations,” IndiGo’s Chief Executive Officer Ronojoy Dutta said.
“The A320 family has enhanced the cost and fuel-efficiency in IndiGo’s operations and will strengthen this proposition in future, as we aim to build the best air transportation system in the world. I want to congratulate the Airbus team for delivering their 1000th aircraft. Airbus has been our partner since IndiGo’s inception, and as we expand, we wish to continue this journey together, achieving more such milestones,” Dutta added.
IndiGo took the aircraft from Ireland-based CDB Aviation, a wholly-owned Irish subsidiary of China Development Bank Financial Leasing Co Ltd.
CDB Aviation CEO Peter Chang said, “The significant scale of this transaction further demonstrates our steadfast commitment to offering wide-ranging solutions to airlines, providing the ideal fleet options they seek, one aircraft or an entire fleet at a time.”
CDB Aviation also congratulated Airbus on achieving a significant milestone in the delivery of its A320 Neo aircraft. “CDB Aviation’s financing solutions are anchored in our ability to offer the latest generation aircraft. We are proud to be at the forefront of the industry by building the most modern, fuel-efficient fleet while advocating to advance technological leadership and sustained innovation drive in efforts to reduce aviation’s environmental impacts,” Peter Chang added.
