Finnair has placed a firm order with Airbus for an additional A330-300 long-range aircraft for delivery in spring 2009. This new order brings the total number of Finnair’s Airbus wide-body aircraft to 22, including seven A330-300s, four A340-300s and eleven A350 XWB.
They contribute to the modernisation of Finnair’s long-haul fleet and help them meet their expansion plans.
Jukka Hienonen, President and CEO of Finnair said: „We want to update our long-haul fleet as quickly as possible, so as to serve our customers better. We also want to benefit from the modern twin-engine technology offered by the Airbus products, which are both more fuel efficient and environmentally friendlier. This will allow us to operate one of the most modern and eco-efficient fleets in Europe“.
The A330-300 will consume 20 percent less fuel than its predecessor aircraft.
„We greatly value our partnership with Finnair, and are happy to strengthen it further while accompanying the airline in its fleet renewal and growth strategy,“ Airbus Chief Operating Officer Customers, John Leahy said. „The A330 offers unrivalled fuel and environmental efficiency as well as passenger comfort, and also produces very low emissions and noise. The combination of A330s, A340s, and the A350s to come, together with Finnair’s in service A320s, offers the airline a strong asset in the market.“
The A330-300 is today the most economical means of flying up to 300 passengers on medium range routes in true wide-body long-haul comfort. The spacious cabin is able to accommodate various seat and class configurations to satisfy a wide spectrum of customer requirements. Its range is up to 5,650 nm / 10,500 km with full passenger load. Highly efficient and optimized for the medium to extended-range market, the A330-300 offers the best balance between range and cost.
The A330/A340 family benefits from Airbus‘ unique cockpit and operational commonality. Each family member shares the same cockpit philosophy. This helps to shorten training times for flight crews transitioning from one Airbus aircraft to another. The common cockpit design also streamlines maintenance procedures and reduces spare parts holdings. Additionally, high levels of passenger comfort are a hallmark of the passenger models, as is its superior operational efficiency.
Today, Finnair successfully operates a fleet of 32 Airbus aircraft, including eleven A319s, twelve A320s, six A321s and three A340s.
Photo: Airbus
