easyJet takes delivery of its first LEAP powered Airbus A320neo - its 300th Airbus delivery

Toulouse,  June 14, 2017 – Airbus has delivered easyJet’s first LEAP-1A powered A320neo which is also the airline’s 300th A320 Family aircraft delivery, at a ceremony in Toulouse with Carolyn McCall, easyJet CEO, Fabrice Bregier, President Airbus Commercial Aircraft and Airbus COO, Gaël Méheust, CFM International president and CEO.

To mark the milestone delivery, a special livery has been designed with an A320neo motif on the fuselage. Compared to previous aircraft, the neo brings significant environmental and operational benefits – up to 15 percent saving in fuel burn and CO2 emissions, and a reduced noise footprint of 50 percent on take-off and landing phase providing a benefit to airport neighborhood communities.

The aircraft is powered by CFM International LEAP-1A engines and configured in a 186 seat layout. The first easyJet A320neo will be based at London Luton Airport and start operating commercial flights on 16 June to Amsterdam, Madrid and Edinburgh.

Carolyn McCall, easyJet CEO:

 “The A320neo is a major step change for our fleet efficiency and will provide a cost per seat saving of up to 7% over the current A320, which itself has a cost saving benefit of up to 8% over the A319 and this benefit will enable easyJet to continue to offer our famous low fares helping to connect people across Europe for work and play. 

“We strive to do this in the right way by reducing our carbon and noise impact on the environment and local communities. By using modern Airbus aircraft and flying them efficiently we have reduced the carbon impact of our flights by a third since 2000.

“With the addition of the A320neo and A321neo to the future easyJet fleet and with further planned efficiency improvements easyJet has now set itself a new, tougher carbon emissions target of 72 grams by 2022. This is a 10% reduction from today’s performance and a 38% improvement from 2000.

“Since our first A320 delivery in 2003, easyJet has grown to operate Europe’s largest A320 Family fleet with 300 aircraft delivered. 

 “With 130 neo aircraft on order we are also Europe’s largest customer for this revolutionary new plane and really looking forward to operating the neo and realizing its cost, customer, carbon and noise benefits.”

Gaël Méheust, CFM president & CEO:

“The delivery of the first LEAP-1A-powered A320neo to easyJet strong relationship between easyJet, Airbus and CFM. easyJet is one of the leading low-cost carriers in Europe, flying 269 CFM-powered Airbus aircraft throughout Europe and the fleet has accumulated more than 16 million engine flight hours with our engines. » 

Airbus gave us the opportunity to bring the revolutionary new LEAP engine to market, providing more performance through better fuel efficiency and more environmentally friendly

operation.Today, the LEAP-1A-powered A320neo has been selected by more than 100 operators around the world. 

We’re very proud to be a part of this adventure with Airbus and easyJet and are looking for an even stronger relationship in the future.”

Fabrice Brégier, Chief Operating Officer and President Airbus Commercial Aircraft: 

“easyJet took delivery of its first Airbus aircraft in 2003, an A319ceo. Just 14 years later easyJet is taking delivery of the latest generation single aisle, its first of 130 A320neo, which is also its 300th aircraft delivery in all. easyJet’s growth continues to be a remarkable success story and Airbus is honored to have been part of it – on average delivering a new aircraft every two weeks for the past 14 years”. 

In May 2017, easyJet announced it will convert 30 current A320neo orders to A321neo aircraft with a 235 seat configuration, with the first delivery expected in July 2018.  This is part of the existing easyJet Airbus framework agreement signed in 2013.

The A321neo aircraft will enable easyJet to continue to grow in slot constrained airports with an increase in seats per flight of around 30% compared to an A320 and 50% when replacing an A319 while benefitting from the lowest operating costs in the single aisle aircraft category.

Since 2000, easyJet’s emissions have reduced by over 31% from 116.2 grams to 79.98 grams per passenger kilometre in 2016. easyJet’s current target is to reduce this to 77 grams by 2020.  With the addition of the A321neo to the future easyJet fleet and with further planned efficiency improvements easyJet has set itself a new tougher carbon emissions target of 72 grams by 2022.  This is a 10% reduction from today’s performance and a 38% improvement from 2000.