JetSMART Has Its First Airbus A321neo
Yesterday South American ultra-low-cost-carrier JetSMART took delivery of its first Airbus A321neo.
The handover took place in Hamburg, Germany and marks the first delivery of the 47 Airbus A321neo JetSMART has on order. Data from Flightradar24.com shows the new aircraft, registered initially as D-AZYK, has operated two flights, both departing from and returning to Hamburg-Finkenwerder Airport (XFW). The first on July 14 was for 2:41 hours, while the second on Monday, July 25, possibly the handover flight, was in the air for 1:21 hours. The A321neo, now registered as CC-AWT, has not yet left Hamburg for the ferry flight home.
CEO Estuardo Ortiz said delivery of the A321neo marks the beginning of a new era for JetSMART and will support its vision to serve 100 million passengers by 2028.
"It is also an important step in becoming the leading ULCC in South America. We worked with Airbus to configure our A321neo as the most competitive aircraft in the market, while maintaining our focus on sustainability and ultra low fares."
JetSMART has ambitious plans to grow its fleet, with ch-aviation.com data showing it has 110 Airbus narrowbodies on order. JetSMART currently has nine aircraft based in Chile, six in Argentina and two in Peru. The fleet comprises eleven Airbus A320-200s and six A320-200neos. Its orders are for A320neo, A321neo, A321NX and A321XLR aircraft. The new A321neo is leased from Aviation Capital Management, and last week JetSMART announced it would lease six A320neos from another lessor, BOC Aviation.
Like almost all airlines, JetSMART has its own sustainability goals, and it believes the A321neo will be crucial to their achievement. The A321neo is powered by new generation Pratt & Whitney geared-turbofan engines, which, combined with the wing Sharklets, deliver more than 20% fuel and CO2 savings, plus a 50% noise reduction. Arturo Barreira, president of Airbus Latin America and the Caribbean, said, "The A321neo's performance and efficiency will allow JetSMART to continue offering low fares while reducing its carbon footprint."
JetSMART is adding more capacity to its existing A320neo fleet.
As a ULCC, JetSMART needs to maximize capacity, and the A321neo is configured for up to 240 passengers, a 30% lift from the A320neo. The airplane has the latest Airspace cabin, which features the widest single-aisle cabin, unique lighting displays and the extra large Airspace XL overhead luggage bins. Airbus says these XL bins can store 60% more luggage than previous generation narrowbodies.
JetSMART and its subsidiaries in Peru and Argentina have an extensive network of destinations across South America. From Chile, it operates to six countries, 25 destinations and 43 routes, while the Argentinian airline serves 17 destinations and 33 routes in three countries. JetSMART Peru launched domestic services in June, operating to 10 destinations on 13 routes. At the launch, Ortiz said JetSMART Peru would "offer point-to-point flights, shorter flights to destinations that today are not connected, allowing greater transfer opportunities for passengers who from now on will pay only for what they need and use for their trip."
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