Brazilian air carrier Azul Linhas Aéreas has placed a firm order for three Airbus A330-900 wide-body planes. Once the planes are delivered, the Barueri-based airline will operate a fleet of 164 aircraft, eight of which will be A330-900 jets. Azul’s (AZUL) fleet also comprises other A330 family jets, including seven A330-200s, according to AZUL</a>)-Linhas-Aereas-Brasileiras”>data from Planespotters.com.
“We are delighted to have secured three more next-gen Airbus widebody aircraft for the upcoming years. This reaffirms our position as the airline with the most modern fleet in the region, with 70 percent of our capacity coming from fuel-efficient and environmentally friendly aircraft,” Azul (AZUL) chief executive John Rodgerson was cited as saying in an Airbus statement released on November 16, 2022.
The three new planes will be powered by Rolls-Royce Trent 7000 high-bypass turbofan engines and equipped with the Airspace cabin, featuring enhanced mood lighting, larger and modern overhead compartments, and new window and lavatory designs, according to Airbus.
Brazil’s largest airline has recently released a report on its financial performance during Q3 2022, stating that it had generated an operating income of R$136.3 million ($25.2 million), against a loss of R$400 million ($74 million) for the same period in 2021. This is the first time Azul (AZUL) has posted a profit since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic and gave an optimistic assessment of its future prospects.