Wizz Air Receives First Airbus A321neo Aircraft Powered by Pratt & Whitney GTF™ Engines

HAMBURG, GERMANY, MARCH 7, 2019 – Pratt & Whitney, a division of United Technologies Corp. (NYSE: UTX), and Wizz Air Hungary Ltd. (Wizz Air) celebrated delivery of the airline’s first Airbus A321neo aircraft powered by Pratt & Whitney GTF engines. This delivery marks the first in Wizz Air’s total firm order of 110 GTF-powered A321neo aircraft with purchase rights for up to 90 more. Pratt & Whitney will also provide Wizz Air with engine maintenance through a long-term EngineWise™ Comprehensive service agreement.

Speaking at the delivery ceremony in Hamburg, József Váradi, Wizz Air CEO said, “Today we approach the beginning of a new era in Wizz Air’s history. We are proud to welcome our first GTF-powered A321neo aircraft to our growing fleet.  We are convinced that the A321neo will be a game-changing aircraft for Wizz Air as we continue to grow and expand our market reach across and beyond Europe. This next-step technology aircraft will enable us to become a greener airline while lowering our operating costs.”

Wizz Air, the largest low-cost airline in Central and Eastern Europe, currently operates a fleet of 108 V2500®-powered A320ceo family aircraft, and has been exclusively powered by Pratt & Whitney engines since its founding in 2003.

“We truly appreciate the trust that Wizz Air has placed in our engines and services, and the strong relationship we have built together since the airline’s inception,” said Rick Deurloo, senior vice president of Sales, Marketing and Customer Support at Pratt & Whitney. “Today we are honored to celebrate this special milestone, and we are confident that the industry leading GTF technology will provide Wizz Air with fuel savings and environmental benefits for many years to come.”

Since entering into service in early 2016, the GTF engine has demonstrated its promised ability to reduce fuel burn by 16 percent, to reduce nitrogen oxide emissions by 50 percent to the regulatory standard, and to lower the noise footprint by 75 percent.

Scoot takes delivery of its first A320neo

Scoot, the low cost wing of Singapore Airlines, has taken delivery of its first A320neo in Toulouse, France.

Scoot has placed orders for 39 A320neo aircraft under its fleet renewal programme. The new addition complements the airline’s existing fleet of 27 A320neo Family aircraft.

Powered by Pratt and Whitney Pure Power engines, the new aircraft features 186 seats in Scoot’s configuration. Selected for its outstanding operational efficiency, comfort and range, the A320neo will be deployed by Scoot on its services across Asia.

Featuring the widest single aisle cabin in the sky, the A320neo Family incorporates the very latest technologies including new generation engines and Sharklets, which together deliver at least 15 percent fuel savings at delivery and 20 percent by 2020. With more than 6,100 orders received from over 100 customers, the A320neo Family has captured nearly 60 percent share of the market.

First ANA A380 takes to the skies

The first A380 for All Nippon Airways (ANA) took to the skies today, completing a maiden flight from the Final Assembly Line (FAL) in Toulouse, France to the Airbus site in Hamburg, Germany. The aircraft is now being prepared for cabin installation and painting in the airline’s special A380 livery.

ANA HOLDINGS INC. placed a firm order for three A380s in 2016, becoming the first customer for the superjumbo in Japan.  The first delivery is scheduled early 2019, and the A380 will initially be operated on the popular Tokyo-Honolulu route.

Offering more personal space than any other aircraft, the A380 is the most efficient solution to meet growth on the world’s most heavily travelled routes, carrying more passengers with fewer flights at lower cost and with less emissions.

To date, Airbus has delivered 229 A380s, with the aircraft now in services with 14 airlines worldwide.

India’s VISTARA to add 50 Airbus A320neo Family aircraft to fleet

VISTARA, the New Delhi-based carrier, has signed a letter of Intent (LoI) for 13 A320neo aircraft to add to its existing portfolio of 21 Airbus aeroplanes, reconfirming the appeal of the best-selling single aisle family.

The full-service airline has also committed to an additional 37 A320neo Family aircraft from lessors. The combined agreements would add 50 A320neo Family to Vistara’s fleet. The engine selection for VISTARA's latest firm order is Leap CFM.

For VISTARA, the A320neo will be the first aircraft to fly regional international routes.

Featuring the widest single aisle cabin in the sky, the efficient A320neo Family incorporates the very latest technologies including new generation engines and Sharklets, which together deliver more than 15 percent fuel and CO2 savings from day one and 20 percent by 2020 as well as 50 percent noise reduction. With more than 6,100 orders received from over 100 customers, the A320neo Family has captured some 60 percent share of the market.