Air International 2021-01
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P.Eden - New time for neo
Comparing an Egyptair Airbus A330-200F with the first ever customer of the A330-900, delivered to TAP Air Portugal, reveals the essential physical differences between the A330ceo and neo. The larger engine nacelles, held much higher, are particularly notable, as is the revised windscreen
This Airbus A330-800,9K-APF (c/n 1964) - seen departing Toulouse, France for the Middle East - was one of two delivered to Kuwait Airways on October 29, 2020. The airline is the first to place the shorter A330neo variant into revenue service
The A330-800 had only eight orders at the time of writing, but Airbus believes there's a large A330-200 replacement market for the variant.
The A330-800 offers a maximum take-off weight of 242,000kg and up to 7,500nm range.
Although its fuselage is just 5m shorter than that of the Airbus A330-900, the -800 has the appearance of an altogether more compact machine. With the same weights and fuel as a -900, the -800 is able to fly considerably further
A higher-performance A330-900 began test flying in March 2020.
Airbus announced receipt of EASA certification for the 251-tonne MTOW on October 8, 2020. This was the first flight of the revised aircraft, on February 28, 2020
Garuda Indonesia has 12 Airbus A330-900s on order, with three delivered
AirAsia was particularly vociferous in its call for a re-engined Airbus A330
On May 13, 2019 Azul became the first Airbus A330neo operator in the Americas. The Brazilian airline has four A330-900s in service, of which, PR-ANZ (c/n 1876), was the first
Thai AirAsiaX results from a joint venture between the Malaysian carrier and Asia Aviation; AirAsia has ordered 78 Airbus A330-900s, with two in service by the end of October 2020