Airbus launched its Airbus A330 new engine option (neo) at the Farnborough International Airshow on 14 July, but no neo product for its freighter version, despite announcing 33.2 billion euros of commitments for its A330neo aircraft.
At the show, Airbus’ chief operating officer for customers, John Leahy, told Air Cargo Week that there is no plan for an A330-200Fneo. Yet, the A330neo is the second new A330 launched since October 2013. In that October, the lighter weight Airbus A330-300 was announced. That aircraft has a lower operational weight of 200 tonnes, a 5,556 kilometre range and up to a 15 per cent fuel burn reduction, compared with the existing A330-300.
The A330neo has two variants, the A330-900neo and A330-800neo. The -900neo will have a 6,200 nautical mile range and fuel efficiency will be 12 per cent better than the A330 current engine option (ceo). This fuel gain is due to the Rolls-Royce Trent 7000 engine and a 64-metre wingspan and winglets for better aerodynamics.
The A330 product range now has six versions, the A330-200ceo and -300ceo, the lighter -300, the -200Fceo and the A330-800neo and -900neo, and three of those are more fuel efficient.
Of the A330neos worth $33.2 billion, Air Asia X signed a deal for 50 A330-900neos, Transaero Airlines is taking 12 A330-900neo and Leasing companies CIT Group and Avalon are both taking 15 each of the -900neo variant. Air Lease is also ordering the -900neo with a request for 25.