Air Lease Corporation (ALC), the Los Angeles based aircraft leasing company, signed a firm contract for thirty six Airbus A320neo family aircraft, 20 of which will be of the larger A321neo model in line with the market trend towards larger aircraft across all market segments, plus fourteen options.
This firm contract follows the memorandum of understanding (MoU) signed at the 2011 Paris Le Bourget Airshow. Engine selection for the aircraft will be made at a later date. With this new order, ALC’s cumulative orders for new Airbus aircraft will reach 100 (50 A320 family, 36 A320neo family and 14 A330 family aircraft).
Steven F. Udvar-Házy, Air Lease Corporation’s chairman and chief executive officer said, “Airbus’ popular A320neo is an outstanding aircraft for airlines looking to improve their efficiency and deliver the premier short to medium haul travel experience to their passengers.
“The A320neo Family will be a cornerstone in ALC’s portfolio going forward.”
John Leahy, Airbus chief operating officer, customers added, “When a leading lessor, namely Air Lease Corporation, orders our A320neo family, we take that as a huge thumbs up for our strategy to offer a new technology, fuel-efficient aircraft. Thanks to the high degree of commonality between the current generation A320 Family and the A320neo, these aircraft fit easily into airlines’ existing fleets.
“The A320 Family remains the most advanced and cost effective product on offer in the single aisle segment. We’re investing over 300 million Euros a year to keep it ahead of the competition well into the future.”
The A320neo Family is a new engine option for the A320 Family entering into service from late 2015 and incorporates latest generation engines and large "Sharklet" wing tip devices, which together will deliver up to 15 percent in fuel savings according to the aircraft manufacturer.
Over 8,300 A320 Family aircraft have been ordered and more than 5,000 delivered to more than 360 customers and operators worldwide.
