UK leisure carrier Jet2 has exercised rights for 36 more Airbus A321neos, giving the carrier a total firm commitment to 146 of the type.
The airline has a delivery stream running to 2035 as a result of the decision.
Jet2 originally ordered 36 A321neos in 2021, increasing this to 57 by the end of the year.
It then took another three in 2022, before ordering 35 A320neos.
Jet2 firmed 15 more jets last year – among them three previously assigned to an unidentified customer – bringing the total to 35 A320neos and 75 A321neos.
But Airbus’s latest backlog data, for the half-year to 30 June, lists Jet2 as having orders for 110 A321neos – an apparent conversion of its 35 A320neos to the larger variant.
Jet2 says it “recently exercised” the remaining 36 purchase rights of its 2021 Airbus order, as it detailed its full-year financial results to 31 March.
“This valuable long-term order provides favourable operating cost efficiencies and enables us to confidently plan for the long-term as we continue to expand our footprint and the range of new and exciting destinations,” says chair Robin Terrell.
Seven of the 146 A321neos have already been delivered to the carrier by the end of its fiscal year, and Airbus indicates the airline had eight in its fleet in June. The twinjets are powered by CFM International Leap-1A engines.
Jet2 has turned in a 43% increase in group pre-tax profit of just under £530 million ($682 million), on a 24% rise in revenues to £6.25 billion.
While the company is encouraged by the strong performance – its on-sale seat capacity for summer is 12.3% higher than last year – chief executive Steve Heapy cautions that passengers are booking “much closer” to departure, and that pricing for both flight-only and package-holiday products “must remain attractive”.
Summer 2024 pricing for both products is showing a “modest increase”, helping offset cost increases, and the company believes that package holidays remain “resilient and popular”.
