Airbus targets Asia with new domestic A330
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Airbus has unveiled a new version of its A330-300 wide-body aircraft, designed to cater for high volume regional and domestic routes in Asia.
The new version of twin-aisle aircraft will have an increased capacity of between 356 and 400 seats, plus slim, lightweight economy class seats, and galleys optimised for short-haul meal services. The design has also eliminated crew rest areas commonly found on long-haul aircraft.
These modifications, according to Airbus, will make the new A330-300 will suitable for “growing passenger markets such as China and India”.
“The new lower weight A330-300 variant specially designed for regional and domestic use is Airbus’ solution for markets with large populations and fast growing, concentrated air traffic flows,” said Fabrice Bregier, president & CEO of Airbus, who unveiled the aircraft in Beijing.
“We are announcing the new A330-300 lower weight variant today in China because here we see strong pent-up demand for efficient and reliable wide-body aircraft connecting mega cities such as Beijing, Shanghai, Chengdu and Guangzhou.”
Domestic and short-haul routes are commonly served by single-aisle jets, due to their smaller capacity and lower operating costs. But the sheer volume of passengers now demanding air travel in markets like China is forcing airlines to consider the deployment of larger twin-aisle jets on key routes. For example, China Southern Airlines has already deployed its double-decker A380 on the popular Beijing-Shanghai route, while Hainan Airlines recently started operating its Boeing 787 Dreamliner between Beijing and Sanya.
But according to Airbus, the reduced weight of the new A330-300 will improve its efficiency, giving it similar operating costs to a single-aisle A321 aircraft.
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