Xiamen Airlines, operating an all-Boeing fleet since its inception, has taken delivery of its very first Airbus A321neo. The aircraft is leased from CMB Financial Leasing and is the 211th aircraft in the airline fleet.
The airline will commence commercial operations on the aircraft from April 2023 and will cover the routes from Beijing Daxing International Airport, Shanghai Hongqiao International Airport and Chengdu Tianfu International Airport in Southwest China’s Sichuan Province.
George XU, EVP of Airbus & CEO of Airbus China, said: “With this visionary decision, the aircraft is believed to benefit Xiamen Airlines for regional flying for the layout of around 200 seats, and our next step is to help the airline fly the aircraft well.”
According to Airbus, the Xiamen Airlines’ A321neo aircraft is powered by CFM International LEAP-1A engines and configured in a high comfort two-class layout with 208 seats, with eight in Business Class and 200 in Economy Class. The cabin features 60% larger overhead bins for added personal storage.
Xiamen Airlines has an all-Boeing fleet including 737 series, 787 series and 757 series. As of 2019, the airline had 206 Boeing aircraft. Experts are of the opinion that the airline might be facing a capacity crunch as most of its Boeing aircraft are grounded and uncertainty looms over the deliveries of new aircraft.
Meanwhile, the airline is optimistic about future growth, “The introduction of brand-new aircraft models is a milestone for the airline’s future development strategy,” the airline said in a statement.
Xiamen Airlines reached a preliminary cooperation intention with Airbus as early as 2019, and signed the first purchase contract for 40 A320 in September 2022 aiming towards fleet optimization.
The 40 jets will be delivered between 2024 and 2027, said China Southern Airlines, which owns 55 percent of Xiamen Airlines, according to the filing posted on the Shanghai Stock Exchange.
China Aviation Supplies Holding Company signed a General Terms Agreement with Airbus to buy 140 aircraft in November, 2022. The deal includes 132 A320 series aircraft and eight A350 aircraft, with a total value of about $17 billion.