New Delhi: Full service carrier Vistara today received its first A320neo aircraft which is expected to join the Tata-SIA run airline's fleet of 13 Airbus A320 planes as of now.
Vistara received the new aircraft, which is fitted with CFM International's advanced LEAP-1A engine, at the European aviation major Airbus' Toulouse (France) headquarters.
Commenting on the delivery of the first A320 New engine option (Neo), Vistara Chief Executive Officer Phee Teik Yeoh, said, "The A320neo ensures operational enhancement as well as cost leadership for us, with extra payload capacity, greater fuel efficiency, and improved range, perfectly aligning with our growth strategy.
Vistara had in 2014 announced leasing of 20 Airbus A320 planes ? 13 A320ceo (current engine option) and seven A320neo (new engine option) ? from Singaporean leasing firm BOC Aviation.
It completed the deliveries of 13 A320ceo planes in October last year. Vistara is the fourth domestic carrier to have this latest fuel efficient aircraft from Airbus. Budget carriers IndiGo and GoAir apart from national airline Air India are the other operators of A320neo planes.
Vistara’s A320neo features mood lighting which is a first in India for an Airbus A320 operator. It has comfortable seating with a new seat bottom and seat back design, softer
cushion, and a refreshing new look across all three cabin classes, the airline said in a release.
The aircraft also carries the Vistara and Airbus A320neo logos on the underbelly of the aircraft, a first for Vistara, it said. Vistara has selected CFM International?s advanced LEAP-1A engine to power its A320neo aircraft, with engine features such as fuel efficiency, reliability, and operating economics, making it a remarkable enhancement to the aircraft Vistara’s fleet, the airline said.
The airline, which is a joint venture between Tata Sons and Singapore Airlines, currently operates 550 weekly flight to 19 domestic destinations pan-India.
