GE unit, Virgin sign lease deal for 10 Airbus aircraft
CONNECTICUT, December 16, 2015
GE Capital Aviation Services (Gecas), the commercial aircraft leasing and financing arm of GE, has signed a deal with Virgin America to lease 10 new Airbus A321new aircraft powered by CFM's Leap-1A engines to expand the carrier's fleet.
The first aircraft is scheduled for delivery in the first quarter of 2017 and the remainder will be delivered in 2017 and 2018, said a statement.
All 10 aircraft are part of Gecas’ existing orderbook with Airbus, it said.
Norman C T Liu, Gecas president and chief executive officer, said: “We have been a partner with Virgin America since their founding and we’re thrilled they turned to Gecas to help them expand their fleet with new, more efficient aircraft under lease."
David Cush, president and CEO, Virgin America, said: “As Virgin America continues to grow its network, there’s no question the Airbus A321neo is the right aircraft for us, and we were pleased to work with Gecas to make today possible.
“Not only will these aircraft allow us to further reduce our unit costs and improve our revenue position, they demonstrate our continued commitment to reducing carbon emissions and creating an even more sustainable airline.”
The A321neo, featuring Airbus’ 'Sharklets' and CFM’s Leap-1A engines, delivers per seat fuel savings of up to 20 per cent, and provide the best seat-mile costs of any single-aisle aircraft on the market. - TradeArabia News Service
