Indigo Partners, a US private equity firm focused on air transport, said four airlines in its portfolio placed additional orders for Airbus A321neo aircraft, worth about $33 billion at list prices, at the Dubai Airshow.
The aircraft ordered today are a mix of A321neos and A321XLRs. Hungary's Wizz Air will receive 102 aircraft (75 A321neo and 27 A321XLR), Colorado-based Frontier Airlines gets 91 A321neos, Mexico's Volaris will have 39 A321neos delivered, Chile's JetSmart will have 23 (21 A321neo + 2 A321XLR), the company said on Sunday. The value of the deal was not disclosed.
It brings the total number of A320 family aircraft ordered by Arizona-based Indigo Partners’ airlines to 1,145. In addition to this order, Volaris and JetSmart will upconvert 38 A320neo to A321neo from their existing aircraft backlogs.
“This order reaffirms our portfolio airlines’ commitment to consistent growth through the next decade. The Airbus A321neo and A321XLR have industry-leading efficiency, low unit costs and a substantially reduced carbon footprint relative to prior models,” Bill Franke, managing partner of Indigo Partners, said.
The global aviation industry is gradually recovering from the effects of the coronavirus as appetite for air travel returns. Airlines emerging from the pandemic are reviewing their fleet plans and rebuilding their flight networks, as well as phasing out older, less fuel-efficient aircraft for more sustainable models to align with the industry's efforts to achieve net-zero emissions.
The new aircraft will help Wizz, Frontier, Volaris and JetSmart "to offer low fares, stimulate the markets they serve and improve their industry-leading sustainability profile", Mr Franke said.
The new aircraft are scheduled for delivery between 2023 and 2029, Frontier said in a separate statement.
Indigo Partners and Airbus made a splash at the 2017 Dubai Airshow, when the former handed Airbus a $49.5 billion order for 430 A320neo jets – the aeroplane manufacturer's largest deal at the time.
This order reaffirms our portfolio airlines’ commitment to consistent growth through the next decade. The Airbus A321neo and A321XLR have industry-leading efficiency, low unit costs and a substantially reduced carbon footprint relative to prior models
Bill Franke,
managing partner of Indigo Partners
“We are happy to further expand our relationship with our great Indigo Partners’ airlines Wizz, Frontier, Volaris and JetSmart who have acted fast and decisively over the last few months to position themselves for this landmark order as the effect of the pandemic recedes and the world wants more sustainable flying,” said Christian Scherer, Airbus's chief commercial officer and head of Airbus International.
The A321neo incorporates new-generation engines and wing-tip sharklets, which together deliver more than 25 per cent fuel and carbon dioxide savings, and halves noise. The A321XLR version provides a further range extension to 4,700nm, giving it a flight time of up to 11 hours.
The A320neo family has received a total of more than 7,550 orders from 122 customers since its launch in 2010, with deliveries at more than 1,950 since its entry into service five years ago.
Sole survivors
- Cecelia Crocker was on board Northwest Airlines Flight 255 in 1987 when it crashed in Detroit, killing 154 people, including her parents and brother. The plane had hit a light pole on take off
- George Lamson Jr, from Minnesota, was on a Galaxy Airlines flight that crashed in Reno in 1985, killing 68 people. His entire seat was launched out of the plane
- Bahia Bakari, then 12, survived when a Yemenia Airways flight crashed near the Comoros in 2009, killing 152. She was found clinging to wreckage after floating in the ocean for 13 hours.
- Jim Polehinke was the co-pilot and sole survivor of a 2006 Comair flight that crashed in Lexington, Kentucky, killing 49.
Evacuations to France hit by controversy
- Over 500 Gazans have been evacuated to France since November 2023
- Evacuations were paused after a student already in France posted anti-Semitic content and was subsequently expelled to Qatar
- The Foreign Ministry launched a review to determine how authorities failed to detect the posts before her entry
- Artists and researchers fall under a programme called Pause that began in 2017
- It has benefited more than 700 people from 44 countries, including Syria, Turkey, Iran, and Sudan
- Since the start of the Gaza war, it has also included 45 Gazan beneficiaries
- Unlike students, they are allowed to bring their families to France
BUNDESLIGA FIXTURES
Saturday (UAE kick-off times)
Cologne v Union Berlin (5.30pm)
Fortuna Dusseldorf v Borussia Dortmund (5.30pm)
Hertha Berlin v Eintracht Frankfurt (5.30pm)
Paderborn v Werder Bremen (5.30pm)
Wolfsburg v Freiburg (5.30pm)
Bayern Munich v Borussia Monchengladbach (8.30pm)
Sunday
Mainz v Augsburg (5.30pm)
Schalke v Bayer Leverkusen (8pm)
HOW TO WATCH
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Dirham Stretcher tips for having a baby in the UAE
Selma Abdelhamid, the group's moderator, offers her guide to guide the cost of having a young family:
• Buy second hand stuff
They grow so fast. Don't get a second hand car seat though, unless you 100 per cent know it's not expired and hasn't been in an accident.
• Get a health card and vaccinate your child for free at government health centres
Ms Ma says she discovered this after spending thousands on vaccinations at private clinics.
• Join mum and baby coffee mornings provided by clinics, babysitting companies or nurseries.
Before joining baby classes ask for a free trial session. This way you will know if it's for you or not. You'll be surprised how great some classes are and how bad others are.
• Once baby is ready for solids, cook at home
Take the food with you in reusable pouches or jars. You'll save a fortune and you'll know exactly what you're feeding your child.
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
The Voice of Hind Rajab
Starring: Saja Kilani, Clara Khoury, Motaz Malhees
Director: Kaouther Ben Hania
Rating: 4/5
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
