Ita Airways, the new national airline of Italy, has signed an agreement for the purchase of 28 new generation aircraft with the manufacturer Airbus. what the company confirms in a note. There are seven A220s for short and medium routes, eleven A320neo for domestic and international routes and ten A330neo, dual-aisle jets for intercontinental connections. The signing comes after the trip – on Tuesday 23 November – of the top management of Ita Airways to the Airbus headquarters in Toulouse, France, and thus converts the memoranda of understanding signed on 30 September in Rome for the renewal of the fleet into orders.
The value
This is a 4.8 billion dollar order, if we consider the list price, but which for the experts consulted by the Courier service it should be around no more than 1.7-1.8 billion also considering the discounts usually applied. The note does not specify whether it is A220 in the -100 or -300 version, but transalpine sources let us know that the -100 version. While the A320neos will arrive after 2025. Another 31 Ita aircraft will hire them from the specialized company Air Lease Corporation, 25 additional jets will arrive from five companies, also leased. The carrier will continue its plans by signing leasing agreements for A350 aircraft in order to complete the modernization of its fleet, explains the company.
Features
The A220 – built specifically for the 100-150 seat market – can fly up to 6,390 as the note recalls, consumes 25% less than previous generation aircraft and also up to 50% less noisy. The A320-A321neo reduce consumption by 20% and also reduce carbon dioxide emissions. The A330neo (also known as the A330-900) cuts the demand for kerosene per seat by 25% compared to previous generation competitors. For all these specimens, the internal configuration and the company that will take care of the seats have not yet been disclosed.
The reactions
The strategic partnership with Airbus takes an important step and we are pleased to have ratified the pact we made last September. In addition to this agreement, further and new possibilities for collaboration have emerged, in particular with regard to technological developments in the sector, declares Alfredo Altavilla, president of Ita Airways. We are very proud to partner with Ita, building the carrier’s long-term future with the most efficient and latest technology Airbus aircraft, adds Christian Scherer, Airbus Chief Commercial Officer and head of the international division of the European aerospace giant.