CALC orders additional 40 Airbus A321neo aircraft

China Aircraft Leasing Group Holdings (CALC) has signed a purchase agreement with Airbus to deliver 40 additional A321neo aircraft.

As part of this agreement, CALC has also ordered the conversion of its existing order of 15 A320neo into A321neos.

This is an addition to the previously ordered 11 A321neos, which now takes CALC’s total order for the A321neo variant to 66.

The latest order has made CALC as the seventh-largest lessor customer for the manufacturer with 252 aircraft in the accumulative order book.

CALC chief executive officer Mike POON said: “We are delighted to further bolster our fleet with this addition of 40 new Airbus A321neo aircraft.

“We see an enormous market appetite for this single-aisle aircraft with lower operational cost, and the order is in line with our portfolio strategy of investing in the most in-demand modern technology aircraft with unbeatable fuel efficiency. Moreover, continuous and consistent order is the driving force behind CALC’s sustainable business growth.

“Not only does a strong order book strengthen the group’s ability to provide our airline clients with one-stop fleet upgrade services, but it is also an important asset to reinforce our leadership in the global aviation market.”

Offering a seating capacity of up to 240 passengers, A321 is the largest among the A320 family based on the cabin configuration.

Powered by latest engines, the aircraft recorded a reduction in fuel consumption by up to 20% a seat.

Airbus has so far recorded over 15,300 orders from more than 300 customers worldwide.