Airbus has successfully delivered the first A321neo assembled at its Final Assembly Line (FAL) Asia in Tianjin, China. The recipient was Chinese carrier Juneyao Air, which expects delivery of four more of the type this year.
First China-assembled A321neo delivered
The Airbus A321neo (registration: B-32DF) is fitted with 207 seats - eight in business and 199 in economy - and becomes the sixth A321neo in Juneyao Air's fleet. The aircraft took its first flight on January 10th, 2023, and is powered by two Pratt & Whitney GTF engines - the delivery flight for B-32DF also used a 10% sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) blend.
George Xu, Airbus Executive Vice President and Airbus China CEO commented,
"Since we announced the commissioning of the first A321 aircraft at FAL Tianjin last November, the relevant final assembly activities and tests went on smoothly, showcasing the maturity of FAL Tianjin to quickly adapt to new products. The successful delivery of the first A321 aircraft enables Airbus to honor the popularity of the aircraft for the China market and beyond - and the consistent trust and support from our customers. Airbus continues to expand and enhance its comprehensive cooperation with China’s aviation industry, underlining its long-term commitment to China to ensure customer proximity while supporting the global commercial aircraft production ramp-up."
Juneyao Air welcomed its first A321neo in December 2020 and will induct another four aircraft in 2023, totaling ten A321neos. The Chinese airline, established in 2005, operates with a youthful fleet of 82 A320-family aircraft and six Boeing 787-9 Dreamliners. Other major Chinese customers for the A321neo include China Southern Airlines, Air China, and China Eastern Airlines, which together have ordered over 200 of the variant.
FAL Asia paying dividends
Airbus first began retrofitting its Tianjin facility to assemble the A321neo in August last year, with the line ready and operational by November. Since delivering its first aircraft in 2009 (an Airbus A320), FAL Asia has assembled over 600 aircraft and is notable as Airbus' first assembly facility outside of Europe. The Chinese plant also produces A319neo and A320neo narrowbodies and a widebody completion and delivery center (C&DC) for the A330 and A350.
Airbus has four global facilities capable of producing A320-family aircraft - Hamburg, Germany; Toulouse, France; Tianjin, China; and Mobile, United States. With its Toulouse facility also finalizing its transformation, all four sites will be able to assemble the in-demand A321neo.
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A320-family continues to impress
The A321neo, the longest variant in the A320 family, is one of the market's most efficient narrowbodies, offering a 20% reduction in fuel consumption and 50% noise reduction on previous-generation jets. It is no surprise to see it in hot demand. As of February 28th, 2023, Airbus has received 4,672 orders for the variant - its second-most popular behind the Airbus A320ceo (4,763) - and completed 965 deliveries.
The manufacturer attracted over 880 orders for A320-family aircraft in 2022 and around 100 in the first two months of 2023, which includes the reinstating of Qatar Airways' order for 50 A321neos after the two settled their A350 legal drama last month - this is without counting Air India's recent order with Airbus which includes 140 Airbus A320neos and 70 Airbus A321neos, so the actual figure stands at over 300. Airbus significantly upped its delivery output last month after it delivered 46 aircraft in February - including 26 A321neos and 13 A320neos - more than double its January total.
Are you happy to see this historic delivery take place? Where does the Airbus A321neo rank in your list of favorite aircraft? Let us know in the comments.
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Airbus
- Stock Code:
- AIR
- Date Founded:
- 1970-12-18
- CEO:
- Guillaume Faury
- Headquarters Location:
- Toulouse, France
- Key Product Lines:
- Airbus A220, Airbus A320, Airbus A330, Airbus A340, Airbus A350, Airbus A380
- Business Type:
- Planemaker
