Virgin Atlantic has announced a firm order for 14 Airbus A330-900neos, with an additional six as options.
The order, valued at $4.1billion, is a crucial step in Virgin Atlantic’s fleet transformation programme which will see 100% of the airline’s planes replaced over a 10 year period.
The airline aims to create one of the youngest fleets in the skies with an average age of just 5.3 years. Of the firm order, eight will be purchased and six leased, as Virgin Atlantic continues its investment into increasing the proportion of owned aircraft in its fleet.
The new planes are designed to be 13% more fuel and carbon efficient than the A330-300 they replace and will deliver a 50% reduction in airport noise contour, the company said.
The aircraft will be powered by the Rolls Royce Trent 7000 engine, drawing on more than 50 million flying hours of experience from the Trent 700, which powers the original version of the A330.
Chris Cholerton, Rolls-Royce, president – civil aerospace, said: “This fleet expansion is another great endorsement of both the A330neo and Trent 7000, our very latest version of the Trent. We are deeply grateful for the trust that Virgin Atlantic has placed in us – soon their entire fleet will be powered by Rolls-Royce.”
Shai Weiss, CEO of Virgin Atlantic, commented: “A fundamental part of our strategy is collaboration with partners and our announcement today with Airbus and Rolls Royce, following the launch of our A350-1000 this summer, takes our partnership to the next level. The acquisition of 14 A330neos will play a pivotal role in our fleet transformation and it is testament to our sustainability commitment; by 2024, we will have improved the fuel efficiency of our aircraft by 32%.