Airbus announced on Thursday that aircraft lessor Aviation Capital Group (ACG) has signed a firm contract for 40 A320neo family aircraft. The order includes five A321XLRs, a version of the A321neo that offers a range of 4,700 NM. California-based ACG, which is wholly owned by Japan’s Tokyo Century Corporation, also signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) for 20 A220 passenger jets.
“The order is another gratifying endorsement of our single aisle products by one of the world’s premier aircraft asset managers, ACG and the Tokyo Century Group,” said Christian Scherer, Airbus chief commercial officer and head of Airbus International. “It also forcefully confirms the A220 as a growingly desirable aircraft and investment in the commercial aviation landscape.”
According to ACG, the order will support a multimillion-dollar ESG fund initiative recently launched by Airbus to “contribute towards investment into sustainable aviation development projects.” Built for the 100- to 150-seat market, the Pratt & Whitney PW1500G-powered A220 offers a 50 percent reduction in noise footprint and up to 25 percent lower fuel burn per seat compared to the previous generation aircraft. Airbus reports that its A320neo family, which includes the A319neo, A320neo and A321neo, provides at least a 20 percent reduction in fuel consumption and CO2 emissions.
