UK budget carrier EasyJet is firming options on 12 more Airbus A320neos but is cutting back its 2021 deliveries by 12 aircraft, postponing them at least to 2023.
UK budget carrier EasyJet is firming options on 12 more Airbus A320neos but is cutting back its 2021 deliveries by 12 aircraft, postponing them at least to 2023.
The budget carrier is deferring delivery of nine A320neos and three A321neos, it states, enabling it to meet the “planned fleet size” for 2021.
But it will exercise 12 options for A320neos which will be delivered from 2024.
EasyJet says the agreement with the European airframer enables it to secure “valuable” delivery slots from this date.
Its revised fleet plan will result in expansion from 331 aircraft, at the end of its 2019 financial year on 30 September, to 352 in 2020.
But it will increase the fleet by just one aircraft, to 353, in 2021.
EasyJet says the expansion will continue, at a modest pace, with 358 and 361 aircraft respectively in 2022 and 2023.
Following the exercising of the 12 options, which originate from a 2013 agreement, the carrier has 13 options and 58 purchase rights remaining.
It values the order at $1.37 billion but points out that it will benefit from a “substantial” discount.
EasyJet says its underlying cost performance during the year has been “strong”, attributing this partly to its switching from A319s to the larger A320neo and A321neo fleet.
But it states that the cost benefit has been “somewhat lower” than planned, owing to Airbus delivery delays. Production of A321neos has been particularly prone to industrial hold-ups.
EasyJet says it has worked with Airbus to “concentrate” on delivering more A320neos for which “certainty of delivery is greater”, adding that the carrier has pre-agreed compensation rates with the airframer covering delayed deliveries.
