Pegasus Airlines, the second largest airline in Turkey, has signed for up to 100 A320neo Family aircraft (57 A320neo and 18 A321neo models), of which 75 are firm orders. Pegasus becomes a new Airbus customer and the first Turkish airline to order the A320neo.
This is the largest single commercial aircraft order ever placed by an airline in Turkey, and was announced today at a ceremony attended by Binali Yıldırım, the Turkish Minister of Transport, Maritime Affairs and Communication, Ali Sabanci, Chairman of Pegasus, Sertac Haybat, CEO of Pegasus and Christopher Buckley, Airbus Executive Vice President Europe, Asia and Pacific.
“It is with great pride that we are placing the biggest order in the history of Turkish civil aviation with Airbus for up to 100 A320neo Family aircraft,” said Ali Sabanci, Chairman of Pegasus. “At Pegasus, we believe that everyone has the right to fly, and the A320neo with its 15 percent fuel burn reduction combined with superior cabin comfort made it without a doubt the best choice for achieving our ambitious future development plans.”
“We are delighted to welcome Pegasus as a new Airbus customer,” said John Leahy, Airbus Chief Operating Officer, Customers. “Airlines around the world are focused on growing their business profitably and the A320neo offers them a solution for doing just that. New generation technologies on the NEO, such as Sharklets and more efficient engines will cut fuel burn by 15 percent, and in addition operators will benefit from the proven high reliability of the A320 Family.”
Pegasus’ new aircraft will be configured in a comfortable all economy layout with 180 seats in the A320neo and 220 seats in the A321neo. They will be deployed on Pegasus’ rapidly expanding network from Istanbul to destinations in Turkey, Europe and the Middle East.
Incorporating new engines and large "Sharklet" wing tip devices, the A320neo Family will deliver fuel savings of 15 percent. The reduction in fuel burn is equivalent to 1.4 million litres of fuel - the consumption of 1,000 mid size cars, saving 3,600 tonnes of C02 per aircraft per year. In addition, the A320neo Family will provide a double-digit reduction in NOx emissions and reduced engine noise.
With more than 8,800 aircraft ordered and over 5,300 aircraft delivered to over 380 customers and operators worldwide, the A320 Family is the world's best-selling single-aisle aircraft family.