It is more good news for Airbus, a week after closing the "biggest deal ever" with Indonesian airline, Lion Air, which called for the European aircraft maker to deliver 234 planes for a total cost of $24 billion; Hawaiian Airlines has finalized an order that will bring Airbus' new A321neo jets into its family.
Between 2017 and 2020, Hawaiian plans on accepting 16 A321neos, with an option of adding nine more.
Hawaiian said "it was able to finalize the order after reaching labor agreements with its pilot and flight attendant unions on the introduction of new aircraft," according to USA Today.
The airlines claims that this purchase is "the latest step" in its "phased fleet plan designed to supplement its current wide-body fleet of 26 aircraft, expand its long-range fleet, and enable it to open new domestic and international nonstop services to Hawaii," reported USA Today.
Hawaiian will use the new jets to expand its U.S. service.
"Adding the superior comfort and operating efficiencies of the A321neo will secure Hawaiian's position as the Hawaii market leader in service quality, cost efficiency and choice of destinations from the U.S. West Coast throughout this decade and beyond," Mark Dunkerley, Hawaiian Airlines CEO, says in a release.
Seating of approximately 190 passengers in a two-class configuration, with an operating range of 3,650 nautical miles, Hawaiian believes that "[the jets] will offer the more comfortable seat widths found in its twin-aisle A330s," as stated in their press release.
The A321neo will also help save money by being the most- fuel-efficient aircraft of its type.
"With its slightly smaller size, we'll be able to open new markets that are not viable for wide-body service, while also being able to augment service on existing routes to the West Coast of North America," said Dunkerley.
"The order has a combined list-price value of approximately $2.8 billion if all purchase rights are exercised, but it's typical for deals to be negotiated for substantially lower prices than the 'list' price," according to USA Today.
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