Jetstar’s first NEO aircraft touches down

After a four year countdown, Jetstar Airways’ first new Airbus A321LR (NEO) aircraft touched down in Melbourne on Sunday at 09:15am.

The long-range, fuel-efficient aircraft, which has come directly from the Airbus production line in Hamburg Germany features a range of benefits including wider seats, larger overhead storage lockers and in-seat USB power.

In the coming months, the NEOs will also be equipped with digital streaming technology which means customers can access Jetstar’s inflight entertainment on their own devices when they fly.

The A321LR is 15 per cent more fuel efficient than Jetstar’s current fleet of A320 aircraft, 50 per cent quieter, and can fly up to 1200kms further – making it the lowest emissions aircraft in the Jetstar fleet.

This is the first in Jetstar’s pipeline of 38 new NEO aircraft, with the aircraft set to start flying on some of Jetstar’s most popular routes in early September, including from Melbourne to Cairns.

Speaking at Melbourne Airport on the weekend as the aircraft touched down, Jetstar CEO Gareth Evans said the arrival of the A321LR is one of the most significant milestones in Jetstar’s 18-year history.

“Our fleet of new NEOs will lift the bar on passenger comfort, and we’ve fine-tuned the cabin configuration to set a new standard of inflight experience for low fares travel in Australia,” Evans said.

“This means wider seats for customers, larger overhead lockers, in-seat USB charging and in-flight digital streaming technology, which is an Australian first for a low fares airline.

“The A321LR burns significantly less fuel than previous generation aircraft, and advanced weather detection technology will enable our pilots to plot smoother and more fuel-efficient flight paths.

“That translates to a saving of one point two million kilograms of fuel annually – a reduction of almost 4,000 tonnes of emissions or the equivalent of removing 1,500 cars from the road each year.

“The aircraft also has a greater flying range than Jetstar’s current A320 fleet, which opens up opportunities to expand our international network across the Asia Pacific region – meaning more low fares to even more destinations.”

Delivery of a further eight A321LRs will take place between August 2022 and May 2023, with all 18 aircraft expected to be delivered by mid-2024. A further 20 A321XLR aircraft will arrive between 2024 and 2029.

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