Latin American airline giant LATAM Airlines has taken delivery of its first A321neo as it seeks to drive regional growth with the fuel-efficient narrowbody.
The airframe, leased from AerCap, is the first delivery of a committed backlog of 76 A321neo aircraft.
LATAM has also placed an order for 13 additional A321neo aircraft to further expand its route network.
In total, LATAM has 111 A320-family aircraft due to be delivered in the coming years.
“Our fleet renewal and modernisation strategy is fully aligned with our sustainability commitment and brings us closer to the goal of becoming a carbon-neutral group by 2050,” said Ramiro Alfonsín, chief financial officer of LATAM Airlines Group.
“We will continue to work on enhancing the current fleet with next-generation aircraft to further improve our connectivity while caring for the environment.”
LATAM A321neo fleet
The newly delivered A321neo for LATAM can seat up to 224 passengers and feature Airbus’ Airspace XL bins in the cabin.
The larger bins provide a 40% increase in storage space and facilitates 60% more carry-on bags, allowing a more relaxed boarding experience for passengers and cabin crews.
The newly delivered A321neo flew to its destination with 49% Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF).
“We thank LATAM for their continued confidence in our aircraft, reselecting the A321neo for its continued network growth,” said Christian Scherer, chief commercial officer and head of Airbus International.
“This strategic move also accelerates LATAM decarbonisation trajectory as the A321neos are at least 20% more fuel-efficient, emitting 20% less CO2 and 50% less noise compared to previous generation aircraft.”
To date, more than 5,200 A321neos have been ordered by customers worldwide.
LATAM Airlines Group and its affiliates are present in five domestic markets in the region: Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador and Peru, in addition to international operations throughout Europe, Oceania, the United States and the Caribbean.
The airline operates 240 Airbus aircraft and is the largest Airbus operator in Latin America. In July this year, LATAM took delivery of a new Airbus A320neo, the first delivery using 30% SAF.
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