Photograph:
The prototype A320neo F-WNEO taking off at Toulouse Blagnac Airport, France in September 2014 (Airbus)
Country of origin:
France
Description:
Commercial airliner
Power Plant:
Two 27,075 lbst Pratt & Whitney PurePower PW1100GT-JM geared turbofans; or
Two 27,120 lbst CFM International LEAP-1A turbofans
Specifications:
- Wing span: 35.80 m (117 ft 5 in)
- Length: 37.57 m (123 ft 3 in)
- Height: 11.786 m (38 ft 7 in)
- Max speed Mach: 0.82
- Max cruising speed: 828 km/h (514 mph)
- Range: 6,850 km (4,256 miles)
- Max fuel capacity: 26,750 litres (5,884 Imp gals)
- Max zero fuel weight: 64,300 kg (141,757 lb)
- Max ramp weight: 78,400 kg (172,842 lb)
- Loaded weight: 78,000 kg (171,961 lb)
- Cargo capacity: 37 m³ (1,322 cub ft)
History:
The A320neo is a new variant of the A320 series and is a development of earlier models of the narrow-body airliner, ‘neo’ meaning “new engine option”. The new model was launched by Airbus on 1 December 2010 and two new engines were offered to customers, from CFM International and Pratt & Whitney, the older models becoming known as the A320ceo standing for “current engine option.” The first aircraft completed made its first flight on 25 September 2014 and the first aircraft entered service with Lufthansa on 25 January 2016.
By the end of March 2017 ninety A320neos had been delivered and the Company at that time held orders for over 5,000 examples for 90 customers. The Company claimed the new engines, along with Sharklet wingtip devices, improved performance by providing a 20 per cent fuel savings per seat compared with the older aircraft models, and by 2020 the aircraft would have two-tonnes more payload, up to 926 km (575 miles) more range, lower operating costs and reductions in engine noise and emissions.
The 2.4 m (8 ft 2 in) tall sharklet wingtip devices are standard on A320neo aircraft. They are manufactured by Korean Air Aerospace, produce up to a four per cent reduced fuel burn over longer sectors, and are available to be retrofitted to earlier models. Air New Zealand had some of its earlier models fitted with the Sharklet, it being claimed the installation on the A320ceo model permitted a 450 kg (990 lb) increase in payload and increase in range by 190 km (100 miles).
The first example with the LEAP-1A engine was delivered to Turkey’s Pegasus Airlines in July 2016 and the first example for the American Airline Virgin America was handed over in April 2017. Typical passenger capacity is 165 in a two-class configuration, with a maximum of 195 in a single-class configuration. Up to seven LD3 pallets can be carried in the underfloor area.
Air New Zealand in 2014 ordered nine examples of the A320neo and four A321neo with the first for delivery in mid-2018, the first A320s to replace earlier variants. Three variants of the “neo” in early 2017 were to be made available, the A319neo, the A320neo and the A321neo. Engines available are the Pratt & Whitney PurePower PW1000G-JM turbofan and the CFM International LEAP-1A turbofan. The first aircraft with the LEAP-1A engine (D-AVWA) was flown from Hamburg in Germany to Toulouse in France on 31 March 2017.