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Jetstar has marked one year since the arrival of its first Airbus A321neo LR (NEO) aircraft.
The ninth Jetstar NEO, VH-OFY, was delivered to Jetstar’s Melbourne base on 24 July, and has since operated domestic flights as well as services to Denpasar. Nine more are slated to arrive by the end of next year, with a further five, plus 15 A321neo XLRs, to enter the Jetstar fleet by the end of 2029.
The airline says the NEO’s more fuel-efficient LEAP engines burn up to 20 per cent less fuel than Jetstar’s previous A321 planes and are up to 50 per cent quieter. According to Jetstar, the NEO fleet has reduced emissions by more than 16,000 tonnes in its first year of flying, and has freed up its 787 Dreamliner fleet for longer international routes.
Additionally, Jetstar says the NEOs have boosted its operational performance with their 99.8 per cent mechanical reliability, increasing its domestic on-time performance to 66.2 per cent and cutting domestic cancellations to 3.7 per cent, as per BITRE data for June 2023.
Jetstar CEO Steph Tully has hailed the aircraft as a “game-changer” for the airline.
“These longer range, highly fuel-efficient aircraft help us achieve our Qantas Group emissions reduction targets while also delivering great low fares to more destinations,” she said.
“Our customers love them. They are 50 per cent quieter, have huge overhead bins and wider seats, and customers can stream entertainment on their own devices.”
The first NEO was delivered to Jetstar at the end of July 2022, with the airline last month opting to base two of the aircraft permanently in Adelaide to service domestic routes, as well as flights to Bali currently served by A320s.
