On Monday, Airbus Corporate Jets (ACJ) revealed that it had received a new order for one of its ACJ319neos from an undisclosed customer, taking the total up to six. Airbus' business version of its niche narrowbody is capable of flying eight passengers between Hong Kong and London and comes with an 'infinity ceiling'.

A wave of private jet travel

The past year has clearly demonstrated the volatility of our global connectivity system. As such, those with the means to do so are ensuring that their plans are not at the mercy of airline schedules or cancellations. According to Forbes, during COVID, there have been over 1.4 million new private jet flyers globally.

Not only do private jets offer the convenience of getting from point A to point B without a potential COVID-era triple stopover. It is also the ultimate in socially distanced air travel. However, sometimes a regular business jet just does not cut it - hence the airliner-turned-private jet market.

The latest order for an ACJ319neo from an unnamed customer takes the number of orders for ACJ320neo family aircraft up to a total of 16 and the number of ACJ319neos to six. Benoit Defforge, President of Airbus Corporate Jets, said the following in a statement earlier today,

"We are delighted to win another order for the ACJ319neo. Customers will enjoy travelling in the spacious cabin whilst flying intercontinental routes. The ACJ319neo has a robust reliability. Customers will as well benefit from a higher passenger capacity with exceptional comfort and similar operating costs to traditional business jets because of more cost-efficient maintenance, training, and better value.”

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Can carry eight people for 15 hours

The ACJ319neo took its first flight in April 2019. Thus far, three of the jets are in operation with three different customers around the world, with the first going to K5 aviation. It has been equipped with extra fuel tanks granting it intercontinental range.

As such, the ACJ319neo can carry eight passengers for 6,750 NM (12,500 km), equaling close to 15 hours in the sky. This means it is capable of flying Los Angeles to Tokyo, London to Hong Kong, or Dubai to Sydney.

The six ACJ319neo account for quite a large portion of the planemaker's total orders for the new engine option of the A319. Powered by either Pratt & Whitney PurePower PW1100G-JM or LEAP-1A from CFM International, it has only received a total of 73 orders. Its largest customer by far is Spirit Airlines, which has opted for 35 of the type.

Infinity ceiling and cinema

However, traveling on an ACJ319neo is a far cry from flying ultra-low-cost. The model comes with the option of the Infinito cabin concept, designed in collaboration with Atelier Pagani Automobili.

Other than the classic high-end sports car aesthetic, one of the main features of the cabin is its sky ceiling. Passengers can choose to display the sky above or project any other image. The cabin's partitions change from clear to opaque electronically. One optional layout also features an en-suite master bedroom or a separate cinema.

What do you think of the future of the A319neo? Will Airbus keep getting orders for its ACJ version? Leave a comment below and let us know.