Virgin Atlantic has taken delivery of its first Airbus A330neo aircraft – the start of the airline’s fleet transformation. It’s also the 50th Airbus aircraft for the UK-based airline.
Virgin Atlantic will become the first operator of the type in the UK, and has ordered 13 A330neo aircraft with an intention to expand the fleet to 16 eventually.
The A330 Family is the most popular widebody aircraft ever in terms of customers and routes, mainly because of the A330neo’s flexibility in the mid-to-long-range market.
The A330neo, powered by Rolls-Royce Trent 7000 engines, brings double-digit lower operating costs per seat and has 25 percent less fuel burn and carbon emissions compared to previous generation competitor aircraft. Virgin Atlantic already operates nine state-of-the-art A350-1000 aircraft.
The A330neo features the award-winning Airspace cabin, providing passengers with a new level of comfort, ambience and design. This includes offering more personal space, larger overhead bins, a new lighting system and the ability to offer the latest in-flight entertainment systems and full connectivity.
The aircraft is configured to accommodate 262 passengers in three classes including 32 upper-class seats featuring privacy doors and two of the carrier’s new Retreat Suites.
The Trent 7000 engine has the highest bypass ratio of any Trent engine, giving significant fuel-burn improvement per seat. It is certified to operate on a 50 percent blend of Sustainable Aviation Fuels (SAFs). The aircraft’s delivery flight from Toulouse to London Heathrow flew with a 35 percent SAF blend.
