Hawaiian Airlines, Inc., Hawaii’s largest airline, have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Airbus for six Airbus A350 XWB-800s and six A330-200s, selecting Airbus aircraft for the first time in their history.
Hawaiian Airlines will begin receiving the new A330-200s starting in 2012 while A350 deliveries will begin in 2017. Both will be powered by Rolls-Royce Trent engines.
The aircraft will be deployed within the airline’s Pacific network, which currently extends from Hawaii to nine cities in the Western United States and three cities in the South Pacific. The extended range and capacity of the aircraft allows for growth in the future.
President and CEO of Hawaiian Airlines, Mark Dunkerley, said this order is a progressive decision for the airline. “These aircraft will help build on our success and enable us to provide our passengers with extraordinary travel comfort. We are committed to investing in the most modern technology and operationally-efficient aircraft, and Airbus meets our needs with the A330-200 and A350-800.“
“We are very pleased that Hawaiian Airlines has chosen both the Airbus A330 and A350 to enhance their long-haul fleet,” said John Leahy, Airbus’ Chief Operating Officer-Customers. “These aircraft will allow our new customer, Hawaiian Airlines, to respond efficiently to the increasing demand for travel to its business and holiday destinations, and expand to new ones in the future.”
With a true wide-body fuselage allowing very high comfort standards, the A330-200 is able to accommodate seat and class configurations to suit the diverse customer requirements. It has a range of up to 6,750 nm / 12,500 km with a full passenger load. Its large under-floor cargo holds can also carry standard pallets and containers side-by-side. It also has the excellent operational flexibility necessary to serve a wide range of route structures, providing operators with very low operating cost per seat. Its proven record of economy and superior passenger comfort provides operators with a significant competitive advantage in the market today.
The A350 XWB (Xtra Wide-Body) Family is Airbus’ response to widespread market demand for a series of highly efficient medium-capacity long-range wide-body aircraft. With a range of up to 8,300 nm / 15,400 km, it is available in three basic passenger versions: the A350-800 accommodating 270 passengers, the A350-900 seating 314, and the A350-1000 for 350 passengers. The A350 has the widest fuselage in its category, offering unprecedented levels of comfort, the lowest operating costs and lowest seat mile cost of any aircraft in this market segment. Powered by two new generation Rolls Royce Trent XWB engines delivering each up to 92,000 lbs of thrust, the A350 XWB Family is designed to confront the challenges of high fuel prices, rising passenger expectations, and environmental concerns.
Photo: Airbus S.A.S. 2006 ©
