​​Volaris Disclosed As Customer Of October 2022 Order For 25 Airbus A321neos

Mexican ultra-low-cost carrier Volaris has announced the acquisition of 25 Airbus A321neo aircraft. This purchase agreement was signed in October 2022 but disclosed only on June 20, 2023.

Moving to an all-NEO fleet

Volaris has been updating its fleet by replacing older planes with newer Airbus NEO jets, and expects to have a complete NEO fleet by 2028. The Mexican budget airline currently has 143 A320neo family aircraft, which will support Volaris’ fleet renewal and expansion.

Commenting on the Airbus A321neo order, Enrique Beltranena, Volaris President and Chief Executive Officer, said that the current backlog demonstrates the airline’s “financial strength and will guarantee our growth in the Mexican market as well as in routes to the United States and Central America.“

Photo: Volaris

The A321neo is the largest-fuselage member of Airbus’ single-aisle A320 family aircraft. It can accommodate between 180 and 220 passengers in a standard two-class cabin configuration and as many as 244 in a higher-density layout. Commenting on the order announcement, Christian Scherer, Chief Commercial Officer and Head of Airbus International, said:

“The A321neo’s superior performance and efficiency will continue to drive Volaris’ network growth. As the fleet grows, the airline will be well positioned to meet future demand, especially in the Mexican leisure market.”

As it stands, Volaris has a total of 115 aircraft in its fleet at an average age of 5.6 years, according to Planespotters.net data. The fleet comprises 85 Airbus A320s (45 A320neos and 40 A320-200s), 29 Airbus A321s (19 A321neos and ten A321-200s), and a single Airbus A319 jet.

Since becoming an Airbus customer in 2006, Volaris has placed orders for a total of 206 A320 family aircraft, which includes over 170 A320neo family jets. Notably, Volaris is the largest A320neo family operator in Latin America.

Another Mexican airline with a significant fleet of A320 family aircraft is Viva Aerobus. However, it’s worth noting that the flag carrier of Mexico operates exclusively with Boeing aircraft.

Order books filling up for Airbus

The European aircraft manufacturer stole the spotlight at this year’s Paris Air Show, securing over 550 aircraft orders from various airlines within just two days. One particular order came from IndiGo, as they broke records with an order of 500 A320 family aircraft.

Photo: Tom Boon | Simple Flying

Air Mauritius added three Airbus A350-900 aircraft to its order book, bringing its future A350 fleet to seven. Philippine Airlines also firmed up its order for nine Airbus A350-1000s. Saudi airline flynas got in on the action, firming an order for 30 Airbus A320neo family aircraft, including ten A321XLRs. Meanwhile, Qantas finalized its order for nine Airbus A220s, and Oman-based SalamAir signed for three Airbus A330neo widebodies from lessor Avolon.

One of the world’s largest airshows, which alternates with Farnborough in the United Kingdom, commenced on June 19 and is scheduled to continue until June 25. This marks its return after a four-year hiatus, as the 2021 Paris Air Show was canceled due to the global pandemic.