K5-Aviation Takes Its First ACJ330-300 From Airbus
The world's first ACJ330-300 has been delivered to the launch customer, German-based K5-Aviation. The firm is now the biggest operator of Airbus Corporate Jets in the world, with a fleet of four ACJ319s and one ACJ350-900.
According to Airbus, the ACJ330 will have a 243 square meter (2,600 square foot) VIP cabin, decked out to be the most luxurious experience for its guests. The ACJ330 is capable of flying for up to 18.5 hours, enough to fly nonstop from Europe to Australia. In all, Airbus says it can fly for some 8,650 NM (16,000 km).
The Airbus A330 has proven to be a top class workhorse for a variety of governmental, business and private jet requirements. However, the usual model is the ACJ330-200, or the 'Prestige'. This successful aircraft has seen 69 orders over the course of its history, with 62 in operation today. But for its bigger sibling the -300, this is the very first to be built for private jet operations.
The aircraft, registered D-AXEO, is actually not brand new. It was built in 2018, and took its first flight in November that year. However, it appears to have been stored for the past three years, and was just ordered by a private client last June. It was officially delivered to K5 in December 2021, but was only announced by Airbus today.
A blank canvas
Right now, the A330-300 is a blank canvas, with everything it physically needs to fly but nothing that the passengers desire just yet. Tasked with outfitting the jet to VVIP standards is Fokker Techniek, a highly experienced offshoot of the original aircraft manufacturer based at Woensdrecht Airport in the Netherlands.
Speaking about the choice of cabin outfitter, Luca Madone of K5-Aviation noted,
“Fokker Techniek and K5-Aviation have a rich history with past projects and this new contract is a continuation of our relation. We fully believe in the strengths of Fokker Techniek; this agile organisation has proven its skills before and we expect the same again on this much larger aircraft.”
The interior, Fokker says, will be spacious and state-of-the-art, with a modern stylish design. The company is delighted to be working on the first ACJ330-300, as Roland van Dijk, co-CEO of Fokker Techniek commented,
“It’s really the next level and we are very honored that K5-Aviation has entrusted us with this prestigious project. We have started preparations and will soon implement more changes to the company in order to keep up with the continuous growth in our Aircraft Completions and Conversions segment. Our orderbook demands additional workforce and an increase of in-house activities.”
It seems the good times keep rolling for the large executive jet segment. Last month, the world's first ACJ220 (TwoTwenty) arrived with Comlux for outfitting. It will eventually head to Dubai to become a private jet for hotel chain FIVE. As for this A330-300, it's likely to be available for charter operations once it's complete, so get saving if you want to take it for a spin.
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