The airline has now confirmed it: Austrian Airlines is getting new, more efficient medium-haul jets. That will help her in the competition in Vienna.
What aeroTELEGRAPH two weeks ago reported has now been officially confirmed by Austrian Airlines: The Austrian Lufthansa subsidiary will receive the Airbus A320 Neo in the future. A total of four of the short-haul airlines join the airline’s fleet. The aircraft will be delivered from the factory between August 2022 and spring 2023. They come from an existing Lufthansa order and will replace older models from the A320 range.
According to AUA, the operation of an Airbus A320 Neo should save up to 3,700 tons of CO2 per year compared to the respective predecessor model, depending on the route. “The use of modern and fuel-efficient aircraft, alongside the use of sustainable fuels, is the greatest lever for achieving our ambitious climate goals,” says Austrian Airlines COO Francesco Sciortino. “We want to halve our CO2 emissions by 2030 and be CO2-neutral by 2050, both on the ground and on board.”
Airspace Cabin
The new aircraft will also change something for the passengers: the four A320 Neo will have the Airbus Airspace cabin. Compared to the previous version, there is up to 60 percent more capacity for hand luggage. In addition, a lighting system that adapts to the biorhythms of the passengers should increase well-being on board. The aircraft will have 180 seats – six more than the previous A320 from Austrian.
Austrian Airlines currently has 29 Airbus A320s and six A321s. Until recently A319s were also on the road for the red-white-red airline – these were handed over to Lufthansa Cityline within the group.
Competition operates with new jets
The decision for A320 Neo in Vienna is logical. The competition operates with new aircraft – and correspondingly lower costs. For example, Wizz Air has announced to fly from Vienna only with A321 Neo. It was almost impossible for Austrian Airlines to counteract this. The new aircraft could change that.