Lufthansa has taken delivery of the first Airbus A320neo, and the first of 116 the German airline has on order.

The A320neo has Pratt & Whitney Pure Power Geared Turbofan engines, which the engine builder says burns 15 per cent less fuel than current generation aircraft.

Lufthansa chief executive officer (CEO) and chairman of the executive board, Carsten Spohr says: “With lower fuel consumption and consequently lower CO2 [carbon dioxide] emissions, the A320neo has a clearly improved environmental performance. Furthermore, the new jet engine technology makes the aircraft considerably quieter.”

Airbus president and CEO, Fabrice Bregier says: “This occasion marks a new step forward to delivering on our promises and meeting our industry’s goal for sustainable aviation.”

Pratt & Whitney president, Robert Leduc says: “Airbus and Lufthansa have been important customers for Pratt & Whitney for many years. With the A320neo’s unprecedented reductions in fuel burn, emissions and noise, I am confident that these business relationships will have continued success for many years to come.”

The A320neo has received almost 4,500 orders from nearly 80 customers since its launch in 2010.