AirAsia X Signs as Launch Customer for 50 Airbus A330-900neo Planes

An Airbus A330 in Lufthansa livery

AirAsia X, the long-haul subsidiary of AirAsia, became a launch customer for the new A330-900neo on Tuesday, when it signed a purchase agreement with Airbus for 50 of the aircraft at the Farnborough International Airshow. The carrier is expected to start taking delivery of the planes in 2018.

The A330-900neo is a member of the Airbus widebody family, which also includes the A330-800neo.  The new plane is an upgrade of the existing plane, not an entirely new design.

It will come with new Rolls-Royce Trent 7000 engines derived from the engine that Rolls-Royce designed for the Boeing 787 Dreamliner and promises reduced fuel consumption per seat by 14%.  The plane will also get winglets similar to those on Airbus’ new A350 model and have greater range than current A330 models.

AirAsia Group, the parent company of AirAsia X, is one of the largest Airbus customers in the world. To date, the airline group has placed a total of 586 orders for Airbus aircraft, including Tuesday’s

AirAsia X was founded in 2007, and currently serves various destinations throughout Asia and Oceania.

(Photo: Accura Media Group)