It’s a new Frontier (engine).
Frontier Airlines officially unveiled its first Airbus A321neo on Tuesday during a highlight event at its maintenance hangar at Tampa International Airport (TPA) in Florida.
The 240-seat jet is Frontier’s first “new engine option”, featuring greater fuel economy and range than previous generations of Airbus narrow-body aircraft.
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Frontier expects to add 158 A321neos to its fleet by the end of the decade. Frontier’s parent company, Indigo Partners – which also owns Volaris in Mexico, JetSMART in Chile and Argentina, and Wizz Air in Europe – has a total of 743 unpaid orders from Airbusaccording to the Toulouse-based airline.
The low-cost carrier has another 68 aircraft on order, or a total of 226 if the number of planes is included. This includes 18 orders for A321XLRa longer-range version of the plane that Frontier could use to fly to Alaska, Hawaii or even across the Atlantic from the East Coast.
In addition to the extended operating range, the new jet series delivers approximately 20% better performance than the previous generation.
Given the Frontier’s dense passenger configuration, the A321neo can achieve around 120 miles per gallon per seat, assuming a full flight, said airline CEO and president Barry Biffle.
“Incorporating the A321neo into our fleet is an important step in our company’s sustainability and continued growth goals,” said Biffle. “They are the most fuel-efficient aircraft in service among major U.S. airlines and have the potential to reduce fuel consumption, carbon emissions and engine noise immediately.”
Frontier’s first A321neo has a distinctive skin color with a bald eagle on its tail – an indication of the logo used by engine designers Pratt & Whitney, the airline said.
Editor’s Disclaimer: The opinions expressed here are the author’s own, not those of any bank, credit card company, airline or hotel chain and has not been reviewed, approved or endorsed by any of these entities.
