easyJet celebrates delivery of first A321neo aircraft

easyJet celebrated the delivery of its first A321neo aircraft with a flight into Farnborough International Airshow.

easyJet CEO Johan Lundgren joined Transport Secretary Chris Grayling, Airbus chief exec Tom Enders and aviation group CFM International president Gaël Méheust at Farnborough today (July 18) to mark the milestone.

The A321neo, with its 235-seat configuration, will be the Luton-headquartered airline’s largest capacity plane.

It follows a deal struck last year with manufacturer Airbus for the conversion of 30 existing A320neo orders to the A321neo model.

The first easyJet A321neo will be based at Gatwick Airport and fly to destinations including Malaga, Palma and Alicante.

The A321neo (pictured) was piloted by an all-female flight crew

It has around 30% more seats than the A320 aircraft and 50% more than the A319.

easyJet CEO Johan Lundgren said: “We are delighted to mark the delivery of our first A321neo aircraft today.

“This larger aircraft will enable us deliver our strategy of securing and growing our number one positions at Europe’s leading and slot-constrained airports.”

Airbus CEO Tom Enders commented: “The A321neo is our largest single aisle aircraft and now also the largest in easyJet’s fleet.

“With a fleet of more than 300 Airbus aircraft, easyJet is also one of Airbus’ largest customers, and certainly one of the most loyal too.”

Chris Grayling MP said: “Aviation is a hugely important sector for the UK economy, but we need to make sure growth is sustainable.

“Technological advancements like easyJet’s new aircraft help make flying quieter, cheaper and more environmentally friendly.”

easyJet’s fleet is currently made up of 308 aircraft.

Earlier today, the company announced Q3 revenue growth and increased profit projections against a backdrop of disruption for airlines in Europe.