Not too long left at all before ITA Airways receives a new aircraft type to incorporate into its growing fleet. The Italian flag carrier will further expand the planes at its disposal with a new high efficiency new generation Airbus model. Soon the carrier will receive its first ever Airbus A321neo. Let’s find out all that there is to know and how the airline will use the plane.
The New A321neo Already Wearing Its ITA Airways Distinctive Blue Coat
On October 26th the newest ITA Airways aircraft, still to be delivered, received its distinctive savoy blue livery. The new A321neo is still at the A320 family production and assembly plant in Hamburg, Germany, where the finishing touches will be placed and extensive test flights will be operated.
What Makes This Airbus A321neo Special?
First of all the plane is the largest new generation narrow body to join the ITA Airways fleet. The plane will ensure significant fuel and emission savings when compared to the prior generation of jets. Therefore ITA will be able to increase its margins on flights with this plane.
Also the A321neo with its very unique performance characteristics grants insane operational flexibility. This is one of the most versatile planes on the market as you can see with what other airlines have done with it. The LR version of this plane is being consistently used by the likes of Aer Lingus, TAP Portugal and JetBlue for transatlantic flights. For all these reasons ITA Airways is understandably excited to receive the plane.
When Will ITA Airways Receive Its New A321neo?
The Italian national carrier should receive the latest addition to its fleet by the end of the year. So we’ll have some more precise information on the delivery date in the coming weeks.
Image by ITA Airways
How Will The Airline Use the New A321neo?
The plane will be primarily utilised for medium haul flights. The first flight the new A321neo is scheduled to operate is the Rome Fiumicino to Tel Aviv route. However it is all to be seen if this will actually be the plane’s first flight depending on how things evolve in Israel.
Alternatively the airline could use the plane on routes of similar length, or on longer range services where filling an A330 or an A350 might be problematic.
How Will ITA Airways Configure The A321neo Cabins?
Even in regards to the cabin interiors this will be a special plane for the Italian flag carrier. The new Airbus A321neo, soon to join the ITA fleet, will be the very first narrow body plane that the airline owns in a 3 class configuration, 3 real classes of travel no blocked middle seat business class. Specifically the plane will seat:
- 12 in Business Class, probably in a 2-2 layout
- 12 in Premium Economy
- 141 in Economy Class, of which 12 are extra leg room seats.
Other unique trait of this aircraft for ITA Airways is the fact that each seat will have its individual entertainment screen. This is the first narrow body plane in the airline’s fleet to have setback IFEs. Another indication of how the airline might want to use this plane on medium to long range flights too. This also means that this plane will most likely never serve domestic flights or short range European services.
Add Comment