Airlines KLM takes delivery of first Airbus A321neo

As a new step in their fleet modernisation, KLM has taken delivery of its very first Airbus A321neo aircraft. A delegation of the airline received the new aircraft over the course of a delivery ceremony held at Airbus’s Final Assembly Line (FAL) in Hamburg-Finkenwerder.

The A321neo is the first single-aisle Airbus to ever be part of KLM’s fleet. In the eighties and nineties, the carrier has been operating with Airbus A310 aircraft and is currently flying with Airbus A330 aircraft.

In the short- to medium-range sector, KLM has been building on the Boeing 737 variants. The A321neo however attacks a new market for the airline. On which routes the aircraft will be operated on, is yet to be confirmed by the airline.

KLM’s A321neos are equipped in a two-class configuration that can accommodate a total of 227 passengers. The cabin also features Airbus’ Airspace cabin with XL bins that provide 60 percent additional luggage capacity. Furthermore, every seats are equipped with USB-C ports.

Back in December 2021, KLM Group announced that it has ordered 100 aircraft of the A320neo Family aircraft for its carriers KLM and Transavia. Since, Transavia has taken delivery of 11 A320neo and A321neo aircraft.

Back then, KLM CEO Pieter Elbers, commented: “This order for fleet renewal is an important new step for KLM in achieving our objectives in terms of sustainability, customer experience, comfort and efficiency. These new aircraft will allow us to substantially reduce CO2 emissions and noise levels. I’m glad that, by continually investing in our product, we can improve our efficiency and customer experience. The coronavirus pandemic has forced us to focus on survival for the past eighteen months. Now that we are on the road to recovery, we can look to the future once more. With this order, which is an important component of our restructuring plan, we will further prepare our company as well as our customer experience for the future.”