Airbus SE and easyJet have agreed to a new purchase agreement that extends the London-based budget airline’s fleet expansion plan with 17 new narrow-body aircraft. easyJet will take delivery of the 17 A320neos by 2023, meaning it has ordered 468 A320 jets to date.
The carrier operates an all-Airbus fleet and currently is set to expand to 329 Airbus narrow-body aircraft by the end of Q3 2019; and then 352 aircraft by the end of 2020.
In the new deal, easyJet is exercising purchase rights for the 17 A320neos and deferring delivery of 18 A320neo aircraft by up to two years. The original purchase agreement from 2013 provides the carrier with what an executive described as a “very substantial discount” from the list price for the new aircraft, according to an executive with the carrier.
The easyJet fleet consists of 315 aircraft now: 132 are A319s, 168 A320s, 13 A320neos, and two A321neos.
The A320s are twin-engine, short- to medium-range aircraft, and its relaunched version, the A320neo, is described by Airbus as “the world’s best-selling single aisle aircraft.” For easyJet, the aircraft are configured with 186 seats in a single class, and outfitted with CFM International LEAP engines.
“This repeat order cements easyJet’s position as the largest European operator of our leading A320 family,” stated Christian Scherer, Airbus chief commercial officer. “We are delighted that our aircraft keep contributing to easyJet’s ongoing success.”