Royal Jordanian reached a new agreement with Airbus to introduce up to twenty A320neo (New Engine Option) family aircraft in order to replace the thirteen A320ceo (Current Engine Option) that the Jordanian flag carrier currently operates, Bloomberg reported.

According to Samer Majali, the company’s CEO, the move is part of a fleet expansion and modernization programme. Over the next five years, Royal Jordanian plans to increase its operational aircraft to more than forty.

The addition of A320neo family aircraft will improve operational efficiency and reduce fuel costs, thanks to the lower consumption of the latest version of the European aerospace manufacturer’s popular single-aisle model. Royal Jordanian assured that they developed «exhaustive feasibility studies» to choose the best option to replace its A319ceo, A320ceo and A321ceo.

Another positive aspect lies in the reduction of pilot training costs that the company would have to face. As a current operator of the A320ceo family, the initial investment will be considerably less than what would be required to develop the crew certification processes to operate other aircraft models.

All Airbus A320 family aircraft share the same fly-by-wire flight controls and cockpit management system. They also bring commonality in maintenance and parts replacement procedures, so Royal Jordanian would also reduce the costs associated with these processes.

Samer Majali also confirmed that discussions are underway with Boeing to add four 787-8s in the coming years. Currently, Royal Jordanian has seven aircraft of this kind in its fleet. In addition, the company’s top executive commented that they are evaluating the possibility of acquiring airplanes of the larger capacity 787-9 and 787-10 variants.

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