Virgin Atlantic took delivery of its first Airbus A330neo, becoming the first UK-based operator of the type. The aircraft, leased from Air Lease Corporation, is the 50th produced by the European manufacturer to join the airline’s fleet, which has so far ordered thirteen aircraft and intends to expand that order to take delivery of up to sixteen.
Last Saturday, the A330-900 took off from Airbus’ Toulouse facility and arrived at London Heathrow Airport. The aircraft, with manufacturer’s serial number (MSN) 2018 and British registration G-VJAZ, was named “Billie Holiday”.
“Cleared to land’- Welcome to London, Billie Holiday ✈️🇬🇧
📸: Plane_mad_brad pic.twitter.com/DkeJJ9PeZV
— virginatlantic (@VirginAtlantic) October 15, 2022
It is equipped with two Rolls-Royce Trent 7000 engines, the powerplant of the two variants of the A330neo (acronym for New Engine Option). The new engines provide a significant improvement in terms of fuel consumption per seat over their predecessor variants and reduce the noise impact of operations.
The Airbus A330neo reduces carbon dioxide emissions by up to 11% compared to the A330-300. It is also certified to operate with a blend of up to 50% sustainable aviation fuel (SAF). In fact, the delivery flight used 35% of SAF.
The aircraft has a three-class interior configuration and a total of 262 seats. Compared to previous variants, it offers larger baggage compartments, a new lighting system and optimised connectivity systems.
According to Virgin Atlantic, the A330neo’s first commercial service will be between London and Boston. The inaugural flight was scheduled for 12 October, but a delay in the delivery forced the aircraft’s scheduling on that route to be postponed.
Virgin Atlantic has traditionally based its business model on transatlantic and long-haul flights. It currently maintains an important network of connections between the United Kingdom, the United States and the Caribbean. In this regard, the Airbus A330neo aircraft will complement the operations of the A350-1000s that are already part of the airline’s fleet.
See also: Virgin Atlantic ends flights to Hong Kong and closes commercial offices
