- Year-end celebrations: Austrian Airlines expands its fleet and takes delivery of its fifth Airbus 320neo on December 29, 2023
- With a new cabin concept, the A320neo offers increased travel comfort on short and medium-haul routes
- Austrian Airlines COO Francesco Sciortino: “The arrival of our fifth A320neo is another milestone in the modernisation of the Austrian Airlines fleet. Our passengers can look forward to even more travel comfort on board the new aircraft.”
Austrian Airlines welcomes an early “New Year’s baby” and receives another aircraft from the Airbus factory in Toulouse on the New Year’s Eve weekend. The fifth A320neo, which will fly in white until its final livery with the Austrian livery in spring, landed on 29 December at 11.46. The new short and medium-haul aircraft with the registration OE-LZR comes directly from the Airbus factory in Toulouse and is expected to take the first passengers to their destinations in just a few weeks. The aircraft with the Thayatal registration will complete the A320neo fleet of the red-white-red home airline.
The first four A320neo aircraft were already integrated into the Austrian fleet between August 2022 and July 2023. Depending on the route, the operation of an Airbus A320neo can save up to 3,700 tonnes of CO2 per year compared to the respective predecessor model, as they consume up to 20 percent less fuel thanks to modern engine technology and improved aerodynamics. The new aircraft thus make an important contribution to Austrian Airlines’ fuel efficiency, increase profitability and at the same time represent an important long-term investment in Vienna as a business location.
“The arrival of our fifth A320neo is a wonderful end to the year for Austrian Airlines and a gift for our passengers, who can look forward to even more travel comfort on board. In the coming years, Austrian Airlines will modernise both its short and medium-haul fleet as well as its long-haul fleet. The use of modern and fuel-efficient aircraft is, alongside the use of sustainable fuels, the greatest lever for achieving our ambitious climate targets,” says Austrian Airlines COO Francesco Sciortino.
Innovative Airspace Cabin increases comfort
The fifth aircraft, which now has a capacity of 180 seats, will further enhance travel comfort on short and medium-haul routes. Thanks to the innovative Airspace Cabin and slimmer side walls, passengers are offered even more personal space, particularly in the shoulder area. Compared to the previous design, the new cabin concept is also characterised by an up to 60 percent larger capacity for hand baggage. In addition, a new, flexible lighting system that adapts to passengers’ natural biorhythms increases their sense of well-being on board. Depending on the flight phase and time of day, the cabin and washrooms are bathed in warm red or cooler blue tones.
Austrian’s fleet outlook
In addition to its fleet of five A320neos, the airline operates 29 Airbus A320ceo aircraft, 6 Airbus A321ceos and 17 Embraer ERJ-190s.
For long-haul, according to ch-aviation, the airline is awaiting the delivery of 11 Boeing 787-9 Dreamliners, starting with a first delivery in Q1 2024, to replace 6 old Boeing 777s and 3 even older Boeing 767s.