Garuda commits to new A330neo aircraft
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Garuda Indonesia has placed an order with Airbus for 14 new A330neo aircraft.
The deal was signed at a ceremony in London in the presence of Indonesia’s President, Joko Widodo, and the UK’s Prime Minister, David Cameron.
The A330neo is the new fuel-efficient version of the twin-aisle A330 series. Garuda currently operates nine A330-200s and 15 A330-300s, and the latest order will see it take delivery of 14 A330-900neo aircraft – the larger version of the A330neo series. The new aircraft will be delivered from 2019 onwards.
“We are pleased to announce that we continue our long-standing relationship with Airbus. Both Garuda Indonesia and Airbus fully understand the aim of the deal as a long-term strategy to win the global challenge,” said Arif Wibowo, Garuda’s CEO.
“The A330neo represents a more-efficient future for Garuda Indonesia. This order restructuring is believed to support our continued commitment to deliver the most modern, comfortable and excellent air travel service to all customers as well as to strengthen the sustained positive growth and business expansion of the company.”
David Cameron said that the deal “underlines the increasing importance of [the UK’s] ties with Indonesia”.
“We are the fifth biggest investor in Indonesia and our relationship has more untapped potential. We want to encourage more British businesses to seize on these opportunities and we will continue to support them by banging the drum for British skills and expertise,” the PM added.
Currently under development, the A330neo will feature new engines and a series of aerodynamic enhancements that will improve efficiency and reduce fuel consumption by 14% per seat. It will also have a longer range than the existing A330 series.
The 14 A330-900neos add to Garuda’s outstanding orders, which currently include 18 ATR72-600 turboprops, 50 single-aisle Boeing 737 MAX aircraft and two more twin-aisle A330-300s.
Garuda becomes only the sixth airline in the world to have placed an order for the A330neo, following AirAsia X, Delta Air Lines, Hawaiian Airlines, TAP Portugal and TransAsia Airways.
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