CDB Aviation, a wholly-owned Irish subsidiary of China Development Bank Financial Leasing Co., Limited (“CDB Leasing”), announced today the delivery of the first of a fleet of nine Airbus A321neo aircraft to India’s leading airline, IndiGo, as part of a purchase and leaseback transaction. The aircraft also marks Airbus’ 1,000th A320neo family aircraft delivery, signifying a historic milestone for its best-selling single-aisle fleet.
“We are very pleased to be part of this important delivery, providing support to our partners at IndiGo in advancing their strategic position in the fastest-growing aviation market,” said Sign Kadouh, CDB Aviation Head of Commercial, Asia Pacific. “The versatility of the A321neos will provide the right capacity for IndiGo’s growing fleet, delivering superior performance and economics. We look forward to deepening our relationship and supporting the IndiGo management’s vision to be India’s leading airline.”
Commenting on the occasion, Mr Ronojoy Dutta, CEO, IndiGo, said: “We are delighted to add another A321neo in our fleet as we continue to expand our domestic and international operations. The A320 family has enhanced the cost and fuel-efficiency in IndiGo’s operations and will strengthen this proposition in future, as we aim to build the best air transportation system in the world. I would like to congratulate the Airbus team for delivering their 1000th aircraft. Airbus has been our partner since IndiGo’s inception and as we expand, we wish to continue this journey together, achieving more such milestones. I would also like to congratulate CDB Aviation on the delivery of this aircraft and thank them for their continued support to IndiGo.”
As IndiGo continues to increase connectivity across its network, the A321neo aircraft, equipped with the Pratt & Whitney PW1133G turbofan engines and configured with a 222-seat layout, are expected to generate lower operating costs, while availing the carrier of the advantages of reduced environmental impact and enhanced passenger experience. CDB Aviation anticipates the remaining eight aircraft to be handed over by the end of January 2020.
Peter Chang, CDB Aviation Chief Executive Officer, commented: “The significant scale of this transaction further demonstrates our steadfast commitment to offering wide-ranging solutions to airlines, providing the ideal fleet options they seek, one aircraft or an entire fleet at a time.”
Chang added: “The CDB Aviation team congratulates members of our long-standing partner, Airbus, on reaching a significant milestone in their A320neo program. CDB Aviation’s financing solutions are anchored in our ability to offer the latest generation aircraft. We are proud to be at the forefront of industry by building the most modern, fuel-efficient fleet, while advocating to advance technological leadership and sustained innovation drive in efforts to reduce aviation’s environmental impacts.”
IndiGo is the world’s biggest customer for the A320neo Family with orders totalling 430 aircraft. Since its first NEO was delivered in March 2016, its fleet of A320neo Family has grown into the world’s largest with 96 aircraft operating alongside 129 A320s. In an extremely competitive aviation market, the fuel-efficient A320 Family has been instrumental in IndiGo’s rise to become India’s largest airline by fleet size and passenger numbers.
The A320neo Family is assembled at Airbus’ four global sites: Toulouse, France; Hamburg, Germany; Tianjin, China; and Mobile, USA. The world’s first A320neo was delivered in January 2016 and the programme has achieved milestones every year since: the first A321neo in 2017; the first A321LR in 2018 and the launch of the A321XLR in 2019.
The A320neo programme was designed with fuel efficiency in mind. Building on the A320ceo’s popularity, the aircraft delivers 20% reduced fuel burn as well as 50% less noise compared to previous generation aircraft. Seating up to 240 passengers, depending on cabin configuration, the A320neo Family features the widest single-aisle cabin in the sky and incorporates the very latest technologies including new generation engines and Sharklets. At the end of September 2019, the A320neo Family had received more than 6,660 firm orders from close to 110 customers worldwide.
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