Transavia has taken delivery of its first owned Airbus A321neo, a key step in its fleet modernization strategy. The new aircraft, registered as PH-YHA, recently landed at Schiphol Airport. This is the fourth Airbus A321neo to join Transavia’s fleet, with the previous three aircraft being part of a long-term lease agreement with ALC.
As part of its ongoing efforts to modernize, Transavia will gradually replace its Boeing fleet. The airline aims to reduce its noise footprint and optimize fuel efficiency through these updates.
Research by the Netherlands Aerospace Center (NLR) and Bewoners Aanspreekpunt Schiphol (BAS) has shown that this family of aircraft is quieter than previous generation models, which aligns with the airline’s goal to minimize noise nuisance near the airport.
In response to the need to reduce noise, Transavia plans to operate one-fifth of its night flights this summer using the Airbus A321neo aircraft. By next year, over half of the airline’s fleet at Schiphol Airport will consist of Airbus models, which are expected to cut carbon dioxide emissions by more than 15% compared to older aircraft.
“We are not running away from our responsibility to fly cleaner, quieter, and more economically. In just four months, we have introduced four new aircraft. We expect Airbus numbers five and six to arrive before the summer, with seven and eight later this year. The pace of our $1 billion investment in renewing our fleet is unprecedented,” said Marcel de Nooijer, CEO of Transavia.
The new aircraft can carry up to 232 passengers, offering more seats than the current Boeing 737-800, which has a capacity of 189 seats. The Airbus A321neo features seats with extra space, wider and more accessible luggage compartments for easier stowage of carry-on baggage, and USB C ports at every seat for charging mobile devices.
At the end of 2021, Air France-KLM placed an order for 100 Airbus A320neo family aircraft, with an option for an additional 60. This order aims to modernize and expand the fleet of Transavia Netherlands, Transavia France, and KLM, and includes both Airbus A320neo and Airbus A321neo models.
See also: Transavia set to service Spain, Albania, Georgia, Norway and Belgium in upcoming winter season
