The agreement with the manufacturer Airbus also provides for the conversion of 18 A320neo aircraft into A321neo.
The airline Easyjet announced on Tuesday that it would exercise a purchase option with the European aircraft manufacturer Airbus which will supply it with 56 A320neo planes, which represents at the list price of 2018 some 6.5 billion dollars. The British carrier explains, however, that the price paid is “much lowerthanks to discounts obtained from Airbus under a 2013 contract.
Read alsoThe great unknown of the start of the new school year for airlines
The 56 A320neo should be delivered between 2026 and 2029, and the 18 A321neo between 2024 and 2027.conditionalannounced on Tuesday also provides for the conversion of 18 A320neo aircraft to A321neo, according to the press release. “Proposed purchase bolsters Easyjet’s order book with Airbus through 2028 and continues fleet rejuvenation” the company “low-cost“, with the gradual withdrawal of older A320 or A319, details the press release. Easyjet points out that these new planes consume 15 to 25% less fuel, and can carry more passengers, which offers both economic and environmental benefits, according to the press release. Easyjet had published a month ago a reduced net loss in the first half of its staggered financial year thanks to the resumption of post-containment air traffic, and was optimistic for the summer. The airline sector has been one of the hardest hit by the Covid-19 pandemic which paralyzed global traffic for months.
Read alsoEasyjet cuts its first-half loss by 21% to 431 million pounds
Since the lifting of health restrictions in many countries, notably the United Kingdom, at the start of the year, carriers are now facing difficulties in meeting the surge in demand, mainly due to severe shortages of workers. work. The company has thus had to reduce its flight capacity forecasts for the summer season due to the lack of staff, which will have a financial impact, she warned on Monday, without giving a quantified evaluation.