Scoot's first Airbus A321neo aircraft took flight on Monday, operating a flight from Singapore to Bangkok. The plane is the first of 16 A321neos the low-cost offshoot of Singapore Airlines plans to fly and are a cornerstone of Scoot's ongoing fleet renewal plan.

Scoot's first Bangkok-bound A3210neo flight

On Monday, Scoot's A321neo (registration 9V-NCA) took flight at 15:39 local time as TR610. After two hours in the air, the aircraft touched down at Bangkok's Suvarnabhumi Airport (BKK). The return flight, TR611, took off from Bangkok at 17:4 local time and landed back at Singapore (SIN) at 21:20 local time. Marking the event, Scoot's CEO Campbell Wilson said;

"Scoot’s new A321neos offer additional capacity and range, unlocking new network growth possibilities while enabling us to elevate the passenger experience in a commercially viable manner."

Scoot hasn't mucked around with 9V-NCA. According to RadarBox.com, the plane only touched down in Singapore on Monday morning, having flown in from Hamburg (XFW) via Dubai (DWC). While 9V-NCA operated Scoot's first commercial A321neo flight, it is the third A321neo to arrive at the airline.

9V-NCB landed in Singapore on May 28, and 9V-NCD arrived on June 4. Both have remained on the ground since then. The three planes come from Airbus via BOC Aviation. All up, 10 of the 16 A321neos due will arrive on leases, with the remaining six owned.

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Scoot A321neo flights to Cebu & Ho Chi Minh City from August

Scoot's CEO says the next routes to see the A321neos are Singapore - Cebu (CEB) and Singapore - Ho Chi Minh City (SGN). The A321neo is slated to begin flying these routes in August.

"Progressively, it will be operating to existing points within the Scoot network," Mr Wilson said.

"With the A321neo, Scoot will be able to increase capacity and open new routes across the Asian region," said Anand Stanley, Airbus Asia-Pacific President. "The aircraft will bring new levels of efficiency with significantly reduced fuel consumption, as well as lower emissions."

Scoot's A321neo will fly 236 passengers in a single-class cabin. The airline will deploy the A321neo aircraft on short to medium-haul routes with up to six hours of flight time. With the three A321neos already in Singapore, Scoot now has 29 single-aisle aircraft in its operating fleet.

That comprises 21 Airbus A320ceos, five A320neos, and the three A321neos. A further 28 A320neos and 13 A321neos are on order. Despite the financial turmoil at Scoot and its parent, Singapore Airlines, Scoot is sticking with its fleet renewal plans, bring in the A321neos and exiting older A320ceo aircraft.

Scoot has high hopes for its new fuel-efficient and versatile plane

Scoot says the A321neo compares more than favorably against its older A320 aircraft. The A320s can fly for four to five hours against the A321neos six-hour range. The extra hour or two opens up a swag of new regional destinations. Scoot's new planes will enable the airline "to optimize its fleet utilization to better match capacity to demand."

Scoot says the A321neo can substitute for their A320s during peak season or when demand unexpectedly spikes. Conversely, during softer patches, the new plane can take over routes normally operated by Scoot's fleet of 20 Boeing 787 Dreamliners.

"Investing in new-generation aircraft and operating a young, fuel-efficient fleet is a cornerstone of Scoot’s strategy," says Scoot's CEO.