easyJet orders a further 157 A320neo family aircraft

Following shareholder approval easyJet has confirmed a firm order for 157 additional A320neo Family aircraft, as well as 100 purchase rights.The firm order comprises 56 A320neo and 101 A321neo aircraft and also includes the upsizing of an existing order for 35 A320neo into the larger A321neo. The agreement is part of easyJet’s fleet renewal and upgauging plan and is also bringing substantial sustainability improvements to its business.

The order and aircraft type conversion will provide easyJet with the opportunity to grow its capacity through a combination of incremental aircraft and accelerated upgauging to larger aircraft, as well as to complete its fleet replacement programme of older A319 aircraft and replace approximately half of the A320ceo aircraft, providing the foundation for disciplined growth and bringing cost and sustainability improvements to the business.

Johan Lundgren, CEO of easyJet, commented: “We are very pleased to be able to confirm this significant order which not only enables easyJet to replace its older aircraft with more efficient aircraft, a core component of our net zero roadmap, but also provides us ability for disciplined growth, including the significant opportunity that upgauging brings. With this order easyJet will be able to continue to cement its leading position at Europe’s primary airports and so we look forward to working in partnership with Airbus in the years to come.”

Christian Scherer, Chief Commercial Officer and Head of International at Airbus, stated: “Airbus is delighted to be accompanying easyJet in its fleet growth and renewal. Its Airbus fleet allows easyJet to differentiate its offering in its competitive market with the most state-of-the-art, modern and comfortable aircraft. easyJet and Airbus both are strong advocates for the aviation sector to de-carbonise. This significant investment into the most fuel efficient and SAF-capable aircraft is a testimony to our joint commitment in this respect. Bravo easyJet, and thank you!”

Minister for Industry and Economic Security Nusrat Ghani said: “This is another huge success for our world-leading aerospace sector, proving that our plan for British manufacturing is working, helping to secure the highly-skilled jobs of the future and driving economic growth.The UK is one of the best places to invest, and this deal for easyJet is another shot in the arm for UK manufacturing, following a string of recent airline announcements and over £6 billion of recent private investment wins, including from Tata and Nissan.”

The airline already has 69 A320neo Family aircraft in its fleet and an existing order book with Airbus to FY29 for a further 158 A320neo Family aircraft still to be delivered. With limited delivery slots in the market for narrow body aircraft until at least 2029, confirming this order now ensures easyJet has a supply of future delivery slots between FY29 and FY34 to retain its current scale through replacing aircraft leaving the fleet and this enables easyJet to execute its growth strategy. The 100 purchase rights provides the airline with the opportunity to further grow depending on when they are delivered.

The A320neo Family is the world’s most popular single aisle having won over 18,000 orders from nearly 140 customers in all markets. The A321neo is the largest member of Airbus’ A320neo Family, offering unparalleled range and performance. By incorporating new generation engines and Sharklets, the A321neo brings a 50% noise reduction and more than 20% fuel savings and CO2 reduction compared to previous generation single-aisle aircraft, while maximizing passenger comfort in the widest single-aisle cabin in the sky. As with all Airbus aircraft, the entire A320 Family is already able to operate with up to 50% Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF). Airbus aims for all its aircraft to be capable of operating with up to 100% SAF by 2030.