EgyptAir receives first Airbus A330-300

Friday, 1 October 2010 06:02 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

National carrier EgyptAir said it has received its first A330-300 aircraft from the Airbus facility in Toulouse, France. The new craft joins EgyptAir’s existing Airbus fleet of 17 A320 family aircraft, seven A330-200s and three A340-200s.

Powered by Rolls Royce Trent 700 engines, the aircraft can seat 301 passengers with 265 in economy class, and 36 in business class, said a top company official.

Captain Alaa Ashour, chairman and CEO of EgyptAir, who flew the new aircraft himself to Cairo, said, “The delivery of the first Airbus 330-300 will add value to our customer and launches new services for the first time in EgyptAir.”

The new A330-300 will be the first EgyptAir aircraft to feature onboard communications technology, enabling passengers to benefit from in flight mobile phone services and WI-FI internet access.

‘This delivery is an important milestone in the history of EgyptAir. We will continue to bring the latest to customers who deserve this premium and highly competitive product,’ remarked Hussein Massoud, chairman and CEO of EgyptAir Holding Company.

He pointed out that the company was determined on the ambitious plan for fleet expansion and modernisation.

“We are proud to be partnering with EgyptAir as they launch their new onboard communications offering on the A330,’ said John Leahy, Airbus chief operating officer (Customers).

“Passengers can now use these innovative services from the unparalleled comfort of the A330 cabin whilst the airline will benefit from the excellent reliability and economics offered by the aircraft,” he added.

Airbus aircraft share a unique cockpit and operational commonality, allowing airlines to use the same pool of pilots, cabin crews and maintenance engineers, bringing operational flexibility and resulting in significant cost savings.

In the Mena region, Airbus has sold around 1000 aircraft and has a backlog of over 500. More than 500 Airbus aircraft are flying with 48 Mena operators, representing around 40 per cent of the fleet in service in the region, he noted.