In the framework of the Dubai Airshow 2021, Indigo Partners placed a surprise mega-order for 255 Airbus A321neo, including the A321XLR, to be shared among Wizz Air, Frontier Airlines, JetSMART and Volaris. The South American ultra low-cost carrier will take 21 A321neo and two A321XLRs.
With this order, JetSMART Chile and Argentina would reach their goal of a fleet of 100 aircraft by 2027. In 2022, the Peruvian subsidiary would join, the company’s CEO, Estuardo Ortiz, told Diario Financiero.
“This agreement once again demonstrates our commitment to continue growing and positioning ourselves as the leading low-cost airline in South America, offering our customers safe, reliable and on-time flights in new aircraft and ultra-low fares. This order brings us closer to our goal of 100 aircraft by 2027 and allows us to double our current fleet in less than two years and reduce our environmental footprint”, he said.
Interestingly, the order will see 19 Airbus A320neo aircraft replaced by the higher capacity version, representing a reduction in cost per seat (CASK) for the airline’s network, which will result in further stimulation of the market with lower fares.
“The introduction of the A321neo to JetSMART’s fleet in May 2022 and the additional order of 23 aircraft of this type will allow the airline to obtain lower costs, lower customer fares and be the most eco-friendly airline,” Ortiz concluded.
The model’s versatility provides an extra-long-range variant, allowing JetSMART to reach markets such as Mexico, southern United States and the Caribbean from Argentina and Chile.
According to the manufacturer, the A321XLR has a range of 4,700 nautical miles (8,700 kilometers) to serve routes of up to 9 hours in duration. It is expected to make its debut flight in 2022 with a view to delivery in 2023 or 2024.
With this order, the JetSMART Group’s fleet will consist of the following aircraft, including those currently in operation:
- Airbus A320ceo: 11 (Chile) and five (Argentina).
- Airbus A320neo: six (Chile) and 36 ordered (without definition in which country they will be based).
- Airbus A321neo: 35 ordered (no definition on which country they will be based).
- Airbus A321XLR: 14 ordered (Argentina and Chile).
What routes can JetSMART operate with the A321XLRs?
JetSMART has not yet specified which cities it will operate, but considering the manufacturer’s technical details with the model, destinations such as Miami (MIA), Orlando (MCO), Mexico (MEX), Cancun (CUN) and Punta Cana (PUJ) will be within JetSMART’s radars from Buenos Aires (EZE) or Santiago de Chile (SCL); or from its secondary bases in Antofagasta (ANF) and Concepción (CCP) in Chile.
In case the model is based in Lima (LIM), it may have a wider range of destinations such as New York (JFK), Los Angeles (LAX) or Washington (IAD).
This aircraft would also connect the destinations operated by Volaris and Frontier in Mexico and the United States, respectively. Also, for JetSMART it would mean linking the main bases of American Airlines, Miami and Dallas/Fort Worth, a company with which it began a partnership process in mid-2021.
