Air New Zealand Opts for Airbus A320s

The first A320 is set for delivery in January 2011, pending completion of the final contract. The rest of the aircraft will be introduced incrementally until 2016, the carrier said in a statement this week.

The national carrier’s decision to consolidate its short-range fleet around the larger aircraft was reportedly spurred by technical factors including the width and cargo system of the aircraft as well as price.

The A320s, which will be powered by engines from International Aero Engines, will permit Air New Zealand to boost capacity on routes that face constraints at some airports during peak times, the carrier said.

“Our 12 Airbus A320s already deployed on short haul international routes are performing well, and moving to one single-aisle aircraft type for both domestic and short haul international routes will immediately deliver added efficiencies in maintenance, crew training, and overall fleet simplification,” said Bruce Parton, Air New Zealand General Manager Short Haul Airline.

Airbus’ John Leahy, Chief Operating Officer, Customers, said, “Air New Zealand will reap the benefits of selecting a common family of aircraft across their domestic and short haul single-aisle fleet. The A320 prevailed in the stiffest of competitions to show once again, that it is the single aircraft of choice bar none. We are delighted to build on our already close relationship with Air New Zealand with this announcement.”

Recognized as the benchmark single-aisle aircraft family, the A320 family of aircraft also offers a containerized cargo system that is compatible with the worldwide standard wide body system. More than 6,400 Airbus A320 family aircraft have been sold to more than 300 customers and operators worldwide.