Hawaiian, Airbus Purchase Agreement Expands Long-Range Fleet

Courtesy photo.

By Sonia Isotov

Hawaiian Airlines today announced that it has signed a “definitive purchase agreement” with Airbus to acquire 16 new A321neo aircraft between 2017 and 2020.

According to a company spokesperson, the transaction is the latest step in Hawaiian’s phased fleet plan designed to supplement its current wide-body fleet of 26 aircraft, expand its long-range fleet, and enable it to open new domestic and international nonstop services to Hawaii.

Additionally, the A321 fleet expansion is expected to generate roughly 1,000 additional jobs at Hawaiian.

“This is a significant investment in the future of both Hawaiian and Hawai’i. Our tourism-based economy and local employment will benefit as we continue our strategy of diversifying our business while improving the efficiency of our operation,” said Mike Dunkerley, president and chief executive officer of Hawaiian Airlines, in the news release.

The long-range, single-aisle A321neo will complement Hawaiian’s existing fleet of wide-body, twin-aisle aircraft used for long-haul flying between Hawai’i and the US West Coast.

“Adding the superior comfort and operating efficiencies of the A321neo will secure Hawaiian’s position as the Hawaii market leader in service quality, cost efficiency and choice of destinations from the US West Coast throughout this decade and beyond,” added Dunkerley.

“The A321neo will be the most fuel-efficient aircraft of its type after its introduction in 2016. With its slightly smaller size, we’ll be able to open new markets that are not viable for wide-body service, while also being able to augment service on existing routes to the West Coast of North America.”

Although terms of the purchase agreements were not disclosed, the company spokesperson added that the order has a combined list-price value of approximately $2.8 billion if all purchase rights are exercised.