Delta’s Airbus A330-900neo to fly route between New York and Accra

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The U.S. mega-carrier Delta Air Lines has scheduled the Airbus A330-900neo to operate the daily nonstop service from New York-JFK to Accra.  This next-generation aircraft increases Delta’s seat capacity by approximately 30% between Ghana and the United States while elevating the customer experience with enhanced comfort.  

At the launch event in Accra, Ralph Albus, Delta’s Director of Global Communications, Commercial said: “Customers will enjoy Delta’s state-of-the-art Airbus A330-900neo, offering the latest in premium travel. The accelerated deployment of this new aircraft reflects the strong demand for our product, and we’re excited to offer passengers a premium onboard experience across the Atlantic with Delta’s renowned service.”

Delta’s Airbus A330-900neo will contribute approximately 1,000 additional seats each week between Ghana and the United States while offering travellers a choice of four distinctive cabin experiences: Delta One Suites, Delta Premium Select, Delta Comfort+, and Main Cabin. Additionally, the aircraft boasts increased cargo capacity to meet rising demand.

Delta puts Airbus A330-900neo on Accra – New York route

The U.S. mega-carrier Delta Air Lines has scheduled the Airbus A330-900neo to operate the daily nonstop service from New York-JFK to Accra.  This next-generation aircraft increases Delta’s seat capacity by approximately 30% between Ghana and the United States while elevating the customer experience with enhanced comfort.  

At the launch event in Accra, Ralph Albus, Delta’s Director of Global Communications, Commercial said: “Customers will enjoy Delta’s state-of-the-art Airbus A330-900neo, offering the latest in premium travel. The accelerated deployment of this new aircraft reflects the strong demand for our product, and we’re excited to offer passengers a premium onboard experience across the Atlantic with Delta’s renowned service.”

Delta’s Airbus A330-900neo will contribute approximately 1,000 additional seats each week between Ghana and the United States while offering travellers a choice of four distinctive cabin experiences: Delta One Suites, Delta Premium Select, Delta Comfort+, and Main Cabin. Additionally, the aircraft boasts increased cargo capacity to meet rising demand.

Delta One Suites feature fully lie-flat seats, luxury bedding, and privacy doors, paired with chef-curated meals and premium beverages. Delta Premium Select offers enhanced comfort with wider seats and additional legroom, while Delta Comfort+ and Main Cabin provide spacious seating, memory foam cushions, and personalized entertainment with over 1,000 hours of content.

Across all cabins, passengers will enjoy state-of-the-art features including ambient lighting for a restful flight. 

Success in Ghana has been driven by strong partnerships, and Mr. Albus expressed gratitude to Delta’s valued customers, the Ghana Civil Aviation Authority, and the government of Ghana. 

Delta’s launch of the Airbus A330-900neo deepens the connection between Ghana and the United States, delivering additional capacity and world-class service. 

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Condor spreads its wings to Thailand.

The German holiday and leisure carrier Condor has started flights to Thailand, with the first one taking off last weekend. The Condor Airbus A330neo D-ANRO operated flight DE2368 from Frankfurt to Phuket on Saturday at around 15:10 local time. On Sunday, flight DE2362 then brought guests from Frankfurt to Bangkok. In both Phuket and Bangkok, the first Condor passenger flight was warmly welcomed at a reception with representatives from Condor, the airport and the tourism association.

From now on, guests have the opportunity to fly with Germany's most popular vacation airline four times a week to Phuket and five times a week to the capital of Thailand. All flights to Thailand will be operated with the brand-new A330neo. On board the new aircraft, guests can expect maximum customer comfort, a significantly more spacious feeling, first-class in-flight entertainment and connectivity in all classes. The three Airbus A330-900neo aircraft are also equipped with state-of-the-art Trent 7000 engines from Rolls Royce, which can be operated particularly efficiently and with sustainable aviation fuels (SAF) thanks to the latest technology.

In addition to the new destinations in Thailand, Condor is now also flying again to the popular winter long-haul destinations of Cape Town, the Maldives and the Seychelles.

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Azul picks Viasat to deliver in-flight connectivity for its Airbus A330-900neo fleet

Azul, the largest airline in Brazil by number of departures and cities served, and Viasat Inc a global leader in satellite communications, today announced that seven aircraft in Azul’s new Airbus A330-900neo fleet will be equipped with Viasat’s trusted Ka-band in-flight connectivity solution, with the first aircraft scheduled to enter service next year.

Consistent with the in-flight Wi-Fi offering on Azul’s other aircraft types equipped with Viasat’s solution, Azul passengers traveling on the new, linefit Airbus A330-900neos will be able to enjoy onboard internet from gate to gate. Customers will be able to acquire packages for streaming audio and video, web browsing, and messaging.

“Part of what differentiates Azul in the Brazilian market is the best-in-class connectivity experience we offer on select aircraft,” said Jason Ward, Azul’s Chief People and Customer Officer. “From Brazilians’ thirst for real time sports scores to their desire to stay connected to loved ones on the ground while flying, our hypothesis that this feature would be critical to customer satisfaction is playing out in the market. We look forward to continuing to work closely with Viasat as we continue to build on our current in-flight Wi-Fi experience in the future.”

“After several successful years of serving Azul passengers in Brazil, we are excited to work with Azul to expand our connectivity onboard even more aircraft,” said Don Buchman, VP and GM, Commercial Aviation at Viasat. “It remains Viasat’s mission to continue delivering high quality and consistent in-flight Wi-Fi, so that passengers can enjoy online activities while in the air as they do on the ground, even as the demand for data grows and passenger expectations accelerate rapidly.”

Cathay Group orders 30 new Airbus A330neo jets

Hong Kong’s Cathay Group has placed a firm order with Airbus for 30 A330-900 widebody aircraft. The order follows a thorough evaluation by the airline under its mid-size widebody fleet renewal programme.

The newly-ordered aircraft will enable Cathay to modernise its earlier generation A330-300 fleet and expand its operations on high-capacity regional routes. The aircraft will also offer flexibility to serve longer-range destinations. As with all A330neo aircraft, the fleet will be powered by the latest generation Rolls-Royce Trent 7000 engines.

Ronald Lam, Cathay Group Chief Executive Officer said: “As Cathay completes the final stretch of its rebuilding journey, we are turning the page to modernisation and growth, both in terms of scope and quality. We are delighted to announce this new order for state-of-the-art A330neo aircraft. This substantial investment reflects not only our immense confidence in Hong Kong’s leading international aviation hub status, but also represents our commitment to fostering our home city’s ongoing development.”

“The A330 is an aircraft type that has been serving Cathay Pacific well for nearly 30 years. These new aircraft will principally serve our regional destinations in Asia, while also providing the flexibility to serve longer-haul destinations as required. The improved fuel  efficiency of these A330neos, together with their high standards of comfort, will enable us to further elevate the experience we provide for our customers while also contributing towards our goal of net-zero carbon emissions by 2050.”

Delta puts New York-JFK - Tel Aviv flights back on the schedule from 7th June

Delta has decided it is safe enough to restart flights from New York's JFK airport to Tel Aviv from 7th June after pausing the service back in October last year. 

The U.S. mega-carrier will operate the route on an Airbus A330-900neo aircraft that will provide customers with nearly 2,000 weekly seats from New York to Israel. It said it had made the decision following an extensive security risk assessment and was working in conjunction with government and private-sector partners. 

In recent months, Delta has strengthened its presence in Israel through a codeshare arrangement with EL AL Israel Airlines. Delta customers have access to EL AL’s direct services to Tel Aviv from major U.S. cities like New York-JFK, New York-Newark, Boston, Los Angeles, Miami and Fort Lauderdale.

The carrier had initially hoped to bring the route back on 1st May this year, customers currently booked on flights prior to 7th June restart will be proactively notified by the airline and reaccommodated accordingly.

STARLUX orders Airbus A350F and more A330neo widebodies

STARLUX Airlines of Taiwan has placed a firm order for five all-new A350F freighters and three more A330neo widebody aircraft. The agreement was signed at the Singapore Airshow by KW Chang, Chairman of STARLUX Airlines and Christian Scherer, CEO of the Commercial Aircraft business of Airbus.

“STARLUX Airlines has continuously nurtured the cargo market since its inception, capitalising on the strategic advantages offered by Taiwan’s geographical location,” said STARLUX CEO Glenn Chai. 

“With this order, STARLUX will become the first Taiwanese airline to operate the next-generation A350F widebody freighter. In an era of climate change, the A350F has unbeatable efficiency in terms of fuel burn, CO2 emissions, and economics, offering significant energy-saving and carbon reduction benefits. It not only meets customer requirements for carbon reduction but also aligns with STARLUX’s ESG plan to achieve zero emissions by 2050. Additionally, the three new A330neos will strengthen our fleet advantage and provide greater flexibility for passenger operations.”

“We love working with STARLUX Airlines in building and strengthening its fleet,” said Benoît de Saint-Exupéry, Airbus EVP Sales, Commercial Aircraft. “Operating both the latest generation Airbus single aisle and widebody aircraft brings the airline enormous benefits. It significantly reduces fuel consumption and carbon emission and offers unrivalled levels of technical commonality, benefits in maintenance and training. The A350F, the only new generation large freighter, will fit seamlessly into this all-Airbus fleet and enable STARLUX Airlines to compete effectively with the leading players in key cargo markets.” 

STARLUX Airlines operates an all-Airbus passenger fleet that already includes the A350-900, A330neo and A321neo. The A350F will be operated by STARLUX Cargo on  some of the world’s busiest cargo routes. 

@Airbus #SGAirshow2024 #A350F #A330neo @STARLUX Airlines

Currently under development, the A350F can carry a payload of up to 111 tonnes and can fly up to 4,700 nautical miles / 8,700 kilometres at significantly lower cost than any other freighter available today. The A350F will enable STARLUX Cargo to serve all heavy cargo markets around the world.

Powered by the latest Rolls-Royce Trent-XWB97 engines, the aircraft will bring a reduction in fuel consumption and carbon emissions of up to 40% when compared with the older 747F and is at least 20% more efficient than its competitor.

The A350F features the largest main deck cargo door in the industry, with fuselage length and capacity optimised around the industry’s standard pallets and containers. Over 70% of the airframe is made of advanced materials, resulting in a 46 tonne lighter take-off weight than the competing derivative. The A350F is also the only freighter aircraft that will fully meet ICAO’s enhanced CO₂ emissions standards, coming into effect in 2027.

Meanwhile, the additional order for the A330neo will see STARLUX Airlines continue to build one of the most modern and efficient passenger fleets, offering the highest levels of in-flight comfort. The incremental order will boost its A330neo fleet from four to seven, with the aircraft featuring a premium two-class cabin comprising 28 business class seats and 269 economy class seats. 

Airbus widebody aircraft are especially popular with airlines in the Asia-Pacific, with nearly 900 in-service and 190 to be delivered.

At the end of January, the latest generation A350 Family had won over 1,200 orders from 57 customers worldwide, including 50 for the A350F from nine leading cargo airlines. In the mid-size category, the A330neo Family continues to gain momentum, with nearly 300 firm orders from 28 customers.

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Danish carrier Sunclass Airlines gets two new Airbus aircraft on lease from ALC - one A321-200neo and one new A330-900neo

Air Lease Corporation announced this week that two new Airbus aircraft were delivered to Sunclass Airlines of Denmark, including one new A321-200neo and one new A330-900neo. Both aircraft were delivered to Sunclass Airlines this December on long-term lease from ALC’s order book with Airbus.

“We are pleased to announce the first of two A321-200neos and the first of three A330-900neos delivered to Sunclass Airlines,” said Steven Udvar-Házy, Executive Chairman of Air Lease Corporation. “With these new ALC aircraft, Sunclass will continue to progress its fleet modernization program adding new generation widebodies and narrowbodies that offer the most advanced technology and efficiency.”

Sunclass Airlines A/S is a Danish charter airline that operates charter services from Norway, Sweden, Denmark and Finland. The company is affiliated with Ving Group, a Nordic tour operator.

Air Lease Corporation is a leading global aircraft leasing company based in Los Angeles, California that has airline customers throughout the world. ALC and its team of dedicated and experienced professionals are principally engaged in purchasing new commercial aircraft and leasing them to its airline customers worldwide through customized aircraft leasing and financing solutions.

It is an ambitious and proud CEO, Valdemar Warburg, who a few weeks before his one-year anniversary in Sunclass Airlines, receives the second large Airbus neo aircraft says:  "Specifically, we in the Group have a goal of reducing the carbon footprint of our travels by 25 percent by 2030 and to reach zero emissions by 2050. And in this plan, fleet replacement is very central, which is why it is also very pleasing that we can now fly out of 2023 with as many as three neo-aircraft in the fleet – and that the entire replacement actually seems to be going faster than expected."

A330 Family | Airbus Passenger Aircraft

German leisure airline Condor takes delivery of its first A330neo

German Airline Condor Flugdienst GmbH has taken delivery of its first A330-900 widebody aircraft out of an order of 16 A330neo aircraft. 

The A330neo will replace previous generation aircraft in their fleet to reduce Condor’s operating costs as well as fuel consumption and CO2 emissions by 25 percent. 

Condor’s A330neo will offer unrivalled passenger comfort and will accommodate 310 passengers, featuring 30 seats in Business, 64 seats in Premium Economy and 216 seats in Economy class.

The A330neo features the award-winning Airspace cabin, providing passengers with a high level of comfort, ambience and design. This includes offering more personal space, larger overhead bins, a new lighting system, and the ability to offer the latest in-flight entertainment systems and full connectivity. As with all Airbus aircraft, the A330neo also features a state-of-the-art cabin air system ensuring a clean and safe environment during the flight.

Condor has selected in July 2022 the A320neo Family to modernise its Single-Aisle-fleet. By operating the A320neo and A330neo aircraft side by side, Condor will benefit from the commonality economics these two aircraft Families offer.

 

The A330neo is the new generation version of the popular A330 widebody. Incorporating the latest generation Rolls-Royce Trent 7000 engines, new wings and a range of aerodynamic innovations, the aircraft offers a 25 percent reduction in fuel consumption and CO2 emissions. The A330-900 is capable of flying 7 200 nm / 13 334 km non-stop.

At the end of November, the A330 Family had registered a total of over 1,700 firm orders of which 275 are A330neos from 24 customers.

Condor A330neo performs successful test flight

Ready for takeoff: The first of the 18 new Condor A330-900neo long-haul aircraft took off yesterday on its first test flight. At around 1:30 p.m. local time, the aircraft, which will in future be identified as D-ANRA and painted in stripes of the colour " Island," took off from Toulouse. During the test flight over the Pyrenees and the Atlantic coast, which lasted several hours, all tests were successfully completed and the aircraft landed safely back in Toulouse. The first Condor A330neo will go on route later this year, with Mauritius and the Maldives among its first destinations.

From the end of this year, the first factory-new Airbus A330neo will join the Condor fleet. This will be followed by the rollover of the entire short- and medium-haul fleet from 2024. With the 2-litre aircraft on long-haul routes and ultra-modern short- and medium-haul aircraft in the A32Xneo family, Condor is consistently focusing on state-of-the-art technology, maximum efficiency and the highest level of customer comfort and will have one of the greenest fleets in all of Europe.

STARLUX launches widebody fleet with first A330neo

Taiwan’s STARLUX Airlines has taken delivery of its first widebody aircraft - an A330-900. It is the first of 26 Airbus widebodies set to join the airline’s fleet, comprising eight A330neo and 18 A350s. 

The A330neo aircraft and one A350 are being acquired on lease from ALC, while the airline has 17 A350s on direct order with Airbus. Benefiting from the A330neo’s unbeatable operating economics and award-winning Airspace cabin, the aircraft will feature a two-class cabin with 28 business class seats and 269 economy class seats. 

The A330neo joins an existing fleet of seven single-aisle A321neo at the airline and will complement the airline’s network by flying regional routes from Taiwan to the wider Asia-Pacific.

At the same time, STARLUX has also signed up for the computer-based ACE (Airbus Cockpit Experience) Suite training solution. Using a “learning by discovery” approach, STARLUX’s flying crew will be able to use the ACE Trainer that simulates a 3D Cockpit environment with guided lessons and free play. 

ACE Suite offers an efficient learning process that also provides customers with significant time savings off high-level devices training. Users can enjoy better knowledge retention and continuous skills reinforcement. ACE Suite is approved by EASA and in line with ICAO regulations. 

“I am delighted to welcome our first A330neo, as it marks a key milestone in our growth. Having already operated modern and efficient single-aisle A321neo, we are confident that the A330neo will bring even more flexibility and efficiency in our network strategy, whilst optimising cost efficiency and achieving high passenger comfort,” K.W. Chang, Founder and Chairman of STARLUX Airlines. “We are also looking forward to starting to take delivery of our A350s in the coming months.” 

“We are excited to work closely with STARLUX to build their new fleet,” said Christian Scherer, Airbus Chief Commercial Officer. “Together the A321neo, A330neo and A350 will enable the carrier to benefit from the unique technical commonality and efficiency offered by our latest generation aircraft. In addition, they offer the best levels of comfort in their respective size categories, which will be a key element for STARLUX in delivering its premium in-flight experience.”

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ALC orders 111 Airbus aircraft - 25 A220-300s, 55 A321neos, 20 A321XLRs, 4 A330neos and 7 A350Fs

Air Lease Corporation has signed a Letter of Intent covering all Airbus Families, highlighting the power of the company’s full product range. The agreement is for 25 A220-300s, 55 A321neos, 20 A321XLRs, four A330neos and includes seven A350Fs. The order which will be finalised in the coming months, makes the Los Angeles based ALC one of Airbus’ largest customers and lessor with the biggest A220 order book. Founded in 2010, ALC has ordered a total of 496 Airbus aircraft to date.

With this order, ALC and Airbus are launching a multi-million dollar ESG fund initiative that will contribute towards investment into sustainable aviation development projects that will in the future be opened to multiple stakeholders from the aircraft leasing and financing community and beyond.

Joint creation of a sustainability fund to foster industry decarbonisation solutions

“This new order announcement is the culmination of many months of hard work and dedication by both organizations to optimize and fine-tune the size and scope of this large aircraft transaction in view of the rapidly growing global airline demand to modernize their jet fleets through the ALC leasing medium,” said Steven F Udvar-Hazy, Executive Chairman of Air Lease Corporation. “After lengthy and detailed consultations with several dozen of our strategic airline customers around the world, we are focusing this comprehensive order on the most desirable and in-demand aircraft types, covering the A220, A321neo, A330neo and A350 families. ALC is an international Market Leader in each of these categories of the most modern Airbus product lineup. These multi-year additions of new technology aircraft assets to ALC’s expanding portfolio will allow us to grow our revenues and profitability while satisfying our airline customer requirements.”

German holiday airline Condor selects the Airbus A330neo

German airline Condor Flugdienst GmbH has chosen the A330neo to renew its long-haul fleet with plans to introduce 16 aircraft of this new and more efficient type. The airline has signed an agreement with Airbus for the purchase of seven Airbus A330neo, and intends to lease a further nine.

Condor is the latest airline to order Airbus’ state-of-the-art A330neo widebody aircraft, bringing a step-change in performance and economics. The airline will operate the A330neo on its international long-haul network to the Americas, Africa, the Caribbean and Asia.

“Condor excels in operating profitably many routes no other carrier is able to; we are proud to see a demanding airline such as Condor selecting our latest-technology A330neo as the aircraft of choice, building the future of their widebody fleet in the relentless pursuit of lowest operating costs and passenger comfort,” said Christian Scherer, Airbus Chief Commercial Officer and Head of International. “By operating the A320 and A330neo aircraft side by side, the airline will benefit from all the commonality economics these two premium products offer, with the embedded flexibility to address new and existing markets with the right-sized, right-efficiency aircraft.” 

Cleaner & more efficient: the A330neo first to receive green-light for post-2028 environmental regulations

Cleaner & more efficient: the A330neo first to receive green-light for post-2028 environmental regulations

The A330-900 (Neo) has become the first large airliner to be certified by *EASA for *ICAO’s new CO2 emissions standard. With this milestone, not only is Airbus the first manufacturer to receive such certification for any commercial aircraft world-wide, but this also demonstrates that the aircraft which Airbus produces today, and will continue to produce well into the future, will comply with foreseeable CO2 regulations.

The new requirement, adopted in 2017, has been developed by the UN’s ICAO Committee on Aviation Environmental Protection (CAEP) and is now being cascaded to certifying airworthiness authorities worldwide. Moreover, it complements existing aircraft noise and engine emissions standards and will be applicable both to New Type-Certified aircraft and to In-Production aircraft. By January 2028 all aircraft being produced will need to comply with the ICAO CO2 standard. Existing in-service aircraft, meanwhile, are being covered by separate environmental measures.

Dakar to New York route coming soon from Air Senegal

The small West African airline Air Senegal has confirmed it will be starting a service from its home base of Dakar to New York's JFK airport this coming September.

The airline is going to be using an Airbus A330-900neo on the route, that will continue on to Washington Dulles Airport from 2nd September.  The new jet features 32 lie-flat seats in business class, 21 seats in premium economy cabin and 237 seats in economy.

In addition to onboard wifi, passengers will be able to take advantage of an impressive 46kg - two-piece - baggage allowance and other benefits the airline has put in place.

Ibrahima Kane, Managing Director of Air Senegal, said: "It is with great pleasure that we announce a new year-round link between Senegal and the United States of America, which is part of the strategic expansion of our intercontinental network. In addition, the United States remains a high priority market for our well-represented diaspora in the area. With this flight, Air Senegal will make the USA even more accessible, and thus better connectivity will strengthen strong economic and socio-cultural ties between the USA and Senegal."

The return flight has been timed to offer connections to Ziguinchor, Cap Skirring, Banjul, Conakry, Praia, Abidjan, Nouakchott, Bamako Cotonou, Douala, Libreville and Casablanca.

Air Senegal's current schedule.

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Airbus’ new weight variant A330neo makes its first flight

More range and even better economics: these are the key attributes of Airbus’ increased maximum take-off weight A330neo variant, which flew for the first time on Friday 28th February.

Benefitting from a maximum take-off weight increase to 251 tonnes, the A330neo offers a significant 650-nautical mile boost in range – or six tonnes more payload – when compared to the A330neo’s current 242-tonne version. This increase in range responds to evolving market needs, enabling airlines to benefit from the unique economics of the A330neo on even longer routes.

Taking to the skies for the first time this afternoon from Toulouse, France, was the 251-tonne A330-900 – which provides the perfect fit for longer trans-Pacific or Asia-Europe routes. The A330-900 is the longer-fuselage A330neo version, seating 260-300 passengers in a typical three-class cabin configuration.

Delta adding 2 more efficient A330-900neos to fleet

Delta has reached an agreement with Air Lease Corporation (ALC) to lease two new Airbus A330-900neo aircraft set for delivery in the fourth quarter of 2020 and the first quarter of 2021. These aircraft will be powered by Rolls-Royce Trent 7000 engines.

"These two incremental aircraft represent an opportunistic play to fulfil our near-term widebody aircraft needs for our customers and employees as older generation aircraft are retired and to support measured growth in 2021," said Greg May, Delta's Senior Vice President – Fleet and Technical Procurement. "We're also pleased that the engines on these aircraft will be maintained by Delta TechOps professionals through our partnership with Rolls-Royce."

Delta adding 2 more efficient A330-900neos to fleet

Delta has reached an agreement with Air Lease Corporation (ALC) to lease two new Airbus A330-900neo aircraft set for delivery in the fourth quarter of 2020 and first quarter of 2021. These aircraft will be powered by Rolls-Royce Trent 7000 engines.

“These two incremental aircraft represent an opportunistic play to fulfil our near-term widebody aircraft needs for our customers and employees as older generation aircraft are retired and to support measured growth in 2021,” said Greg May, Delta’s Senior Vice President – Fleet and Technical Procurement. “We’re also pleased that the engines on these aircraft will be maintained by Delta TechOps professionals through our partnership with Rolls-Royce.”

Separately, Delta has made an agreement with Airbus to accelerate three planned A330-900neo deliveries, with two arriving in the fourth quarter of 2020 and another in the first quarter of 2021. As a result, Delta expects to take delivery of seven total A330-900neo aircraft in 2020.

In July, Delta was the first U.S. airline to operate the next-generation A330-900neo on Seattle service to Shanghai, which offers the latest in innovative design and technology for customers. Featuring the Delta One suites, Delta Premium Select, Delta Comfort+ and Main Cabin, the jet is also the first Delta aircraft to feature memory foam cushions throughout the aircraft for hours of comfort. Additionally, it’s the first Delta widebody aircraft to feature its new wireless in-flight entertainment system in every seat.

In September, the aircraft debuted on Seattle service to Seoul-Incheon and on October 27 will begin Seattle flying to Tokyo-Narita. 

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Aircalin takes delivery of its first of two A330neo aircraft

Aircalin takes delivery of its first of two A330neo aircraft

New Caledonia’s Aircalin has taken delivery of its first of two A330-900 at a delivery ceremony in Toulouse, France, with the second aircraft joining the fleet later in 2019, replacing its existing two A330s. Aircalin is also a customer for the A320neo and will replace its existing two A320s to become an operator of two A330-900s and two A320neos.

Aircalin’s A330neos are configured in a comfortable three-class layout with 291 seats or 25 more seats than its existing smaller A330-200s. These include 26 business, 244 economy and for the first time, premium economy with 21 seats.

Lion Air becomes first A330neo operator in the Asia-Pacific region

Indonesian carrier Lion Air has received its first A330-900, becoming the first airline from the Asia-Pacific region to fly the A330neo. The aircraft is on lease from BOC Aviation and is the first of 10 A330neos set to join the airline’s fleet.

The A330neo will be used by Lion Air for non-stop long-haul services from Indonesia. These include pilgrimage flights from cities such as Makassar, Balikpapan and Surabaya to Jeddah and Medina in Saudi Arabia. The flight time for such routes can be up to 12 hours.