The Colombian flag-carrier Avianca Airlines has completed the colossal task of reconfiguring the interior of 104 Airbus A320 aircraft in under two years.
Using the services of more than 1,500 in-house technicians the airline will now be able to offer 20% more capacity and reduce CO2 emissions per passenger transported by 15.35%.
Each of the 104 Airbus A320 aircraft will now benefit from 180 seats, spread across “Premium, Plus and Economy”.
The airline hopes the new look aircraft will allow the carrier to “continue to offer more competitive prices, transport more passengers per aircraft, contribute to the decongestion of some airports and reduce CO2 emissions”.
“We are very proud of this milestone for Avianca and for the industry around the world. They told us we were being too ambitious, wanting to do this in-house and in less than two years. Even so, we achieved it together with more than 1,500 experts from our MRO and other areas of Avianca, and with the help of allies such as Recaro, our seat manufacturer, and Airbus, the manufacturer of this fleet and who developed the engineering, who were fundamental in moving forward with this project even during difficult situations such as the pandemic, the war in Europe or the shortage of some supplies,” said Adrian Neuhauser, Avianca’s president and CEO.
He added: “Without a doubt, the reconfiguration of our fleet makes us more efficient and competitive, brings us ever closer to what we set out in our business plan, and also leads us to achieve the goal of being an Avianca for everyone.”
As part of its strategy to increase capacity in the different markets where it operates, Avianca will continue to incorporate A320 aircraft that will temporarily have a different configuration but will also enter the reconfiguration process during 2023.
“Although the last few years have been globally challenging for our entire industry, Avianca’s commitment -to prepare for this moment in which we see traffic levels regain momentum- means that now passengers can enjoy an improved cabin, with a better inflight experience. The selection for Airbus’ SpaceFlex Next Generation for more than 100 A320 aircraft is unprecedented, having this number of aircraft retrofitted and returned into service in a two-year time frame during a supply chain crisis is an outstanding achievement”, said Yohan Closs, vice president of Services for Airbus Latin America & the Caribbean.
