Airlines Airbus delivers first A330-900 to launch customer TAP Air Portugal

  • Airbus

Airbus has officially delivered the first ever Airbus A330-900 to launch operator TAP Air Portugal.

  • 4

The flag-carrier has taken delivery of the world´s first Airbus A330neo during a delivery ceremony held at Toulouse, France. As launch operator, TAP Air Portugal will benefit from better operating economics, increased range and a better cabin for greater passenger comfort.

CS-TUB is the first A330-900 ever to be delivered. The airframe is leased from financing firm Avolon and can accommodate a total of 298 passengers in a three-class configuration. In business class, 34 passengers can be welcomed, in economy plus 96 and in economy class 168 passengers.

Antonoaldo Neves, TAP Air Portugal CEO said: “I am delighted to welcome the first Airbus A330-900 into our expanding fleet. Its unbeatable economics and efficiency will power our business forward [...] The A330neo will give us a lot of operational flexibility thanks to its commonality with the other Airbus aircraft in our fleet. This aircraft will be the first equipped with the new Airspace cabin, which is a new concept shaped to meet TAP’s ambition to offer the best product in the industry to our passengers.“

Guillaume Faury, President of Airbus Commercial Aircraft added: “Handing over the first ever A330neo to a long-standing Airbus customer, TAP Air Portugal, is a very important milestone for Airbus.”

In the coming years, TAP will take delivery of further 20 A330-900s, which will successively replace the aging fleet of Airbus A340-300 and A330-200 aircraft.

For the A330neo Family, Airbus has developed “The Airspace”, a new cabin that features larger overhead bins, more personal space and advanced cabin lighting. The whole cabin is equipped with state-of-the-art in-flight entertainment and connectivity systems.

TAP´s A330neos are being powered by Rolls-Royce Trent 7000 engines and 3D optimised wings with new and efficient Sharklets. These aerodynamic advantages will lead to better operational costs. In general, the aircraft has a 25 percent lower fuel consumption compared to older-generation competitor aircraft.

To date, the A330 Family is one of the most popular wide-body families ever. 120 worldwide customers have ordered over 1,700 aircraft. Currently, over 1,380 of them are still in service with 128 operators. The A330 Family consists of the A330-200, A330-200F, A330-300, A330-800 and the A330-900.

TAP Air Portugal is the flag-carrier of Portugal and is headquartered at Lisbon Airport. The carrier was founded in 1945 and is member of the Star Alliance. Currently, the all-Airbus fleet consists of 70 aircraft, including 21 A319s, 22 A320s (including one A320neo), seven A321s (including three A321neos), 16 A330s and four A340s.

© Airbus

Source © airbus.com

This site uses cookies. By continuing to browse the site, you are agreeing to our use of cookies. Learn more