DAE delivers new A320 to flyadeal
The delivery took place at the Airbus delivery centre in Germany, and represents the first aircraft in the flyadeal fleet.
Published: Thu 24 Aug 2017, 2:15 PM
Last updated: Fri 25 Aug 2017, 4:48 PM
Dubai Aerospace Enterprise (DAE) has announced the delivery of an Airbus A320-200 aircraft to new customer, flyadeal.
The delivery took place at the Airbus delivery centre in Hamburg, Germany, and represents the first aircraft in the flyadeal fleet. The Dubai-based lessor has agreed to lease eight Airbus A320 family aircraft to the new Saudi Arabian low-cost airline. All aircraft will come equipped with CFM 56-5B4/3 PIP engines. These modern, fuel-efficient planes will be delivered in 2017 and 2018 and are part of a direct order DAE has with Airbus.
Flyadeal is a subsidiary of the Saudi Arabian Airlines group. The airline will offer low-cost travel options to leisure and business travelers and service destinations in the Middle-East and beyond. Announced in 2016, flyadeal will commence operations on 23 September 2017, on the national day of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, serving domestic markets initially before expanding into regional markets.
DAE chief executive officer, Firoz Tarapore, said: "DAE is pleased to welcome flyadeal on-board as a new customer. This transaction demonstrates our capital strength and our ability to provide comprehensive solutions to airline clients. We are delighted to be able to support flyadeal's fleet strategy as it begins operations, and we look forward to working with the airline to fulfill its fleet ambitions, going forward."
"Saudi Arabia and the region have a very young and digitally savvy population that has an increasing thirst for low fare travel domestically and across the region. flyadeal plans to serve and grow this significant segment of air travel," said CEO of flyadeal, Con Korfiatis. "Flyadeal has selected key partners from across the aviation industry to deliver services that provide the most economical solutions for flyadeal's low-fare, high value business model. Dubai Aerospace Enterprise's long-standing presence in aviation solutions presented the ideal platform to build the new fleet for flyadeal."
The A320 Family is the world's best-selling single aisle product line and the preferred choice among legacy carriers, traditional airlines, representing the aircraft of choice within the LCC market. To date, the family has won over 13,200 orders and more than 7,700 aircraft have been delivered to some 400 customers and operators worldwide. With one aircraft in four sizes (A318, A319, A320 and A321), the A320 Family seats from 100 to 240 passengers. The family features the widest cabin in the single aisle market with 18" wide seats in economy as standard.
- rohma@khaleejtimes.com