Air France-KLM has announced an order for 100 Airbus A320 neo family aircraft, along with purchase rights for an additional 60 planes.
The group said that it had made the decision “to move forward on the Group’s goal to improve its economic and environmental performance through the introduction of next generation aircraft”.
The order consists of a mix of A320 neo and A321 neo aircraft, with the first deliveries expected in the second half of 2023.
They will be used to renew KLM’s fleet, as well as that of subsidiary Transavia Netherlands, and to renew and expand Transavia France’s fleet.
KLM’s current short-haul and medium-haul fleets consists predominantly of Boeing B737 aircraft, but in a statement the group said that “the A320 neo family aircraft offer the best performance in their category for the network needs of the Group’s airlines”.
The new aircraft will be used to operate medium-haul services across Europe from Amsterdam Schiphol (for KLM and Transavia Netherlands) and Paris Orly (for Transavia France).
Air France-KLM said that details of the cabin configuration for the aircraft would be announced at a later date.
The order marks a good week for Airbus, which has also signed an agreement in principal with Qantas for its A320 neo and A220 aircraft to be the preferred aircraft for the long-term renewal of the carrier’s domestic narrowbody fleet.
