Allegiant Takes Delivery Of First US-Made Airbus A320 (+Video)
MIAMI — American ultra-low-cost carrier Allegiant has taken delivery of its first Alabama-made Airbus A320ceo, joining a fleet of 31 A319s, 40 A320s, and 29 McDonnell-Douglas MD-80s.The airline is on its way to becoming an all-Airbus carrier, progressively replacing its older MD-80s with brand-new planes."We are proud to deliver Allegiant their first Airbus aircraft manufactured in Mobile," said Bob Lekites, Executive Vice President of Customers for Airbus Americas.According to Airbus, this is the 69th aircraft that the Mobile assembly line has delivered since it opened in 2015.Back in 2016, Allegiant placed an order for 12 Airbus A320ceo planes. The airline took delivery of its first A320 in May 2016, unveiling it at an event at Orlando Sanford International Airport (SFB).[video width="1280" height="720" mp4="http://airways.news/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/AllegiantAir-B-Roll-1stA320-USA-720p.mp4"][/video]“This delivery is also an important step in our transition to an all-Airbus fleet, increasing efficiencies across our entire operation," remarked Maury Gallagher, CEO, and chairman, Allegiant.According to the CEO, these planes will bring "economic advantages in fuel savings and higher seat capacity.”Currently, Allegiant's overall fleet age averages at 17.0 years.The airline's A319/A320 fleet averages 12.9 years, as most of these planes come from airlines like easyJet, Vueling, Aer Lingus, and CEBU Pacific Air.
Following the controversial CBS 60 Minutes report on national television, operations at Allegiant have regained regular status, according to airline executives.The 60 Minutes segment, which aired April 15, said that Allegiant is more likely to have an in-flight emergency than any of its competitors.The airline rebutted the TV show by calling it "inaccurate, misleading, and not reflective of our safety culture and practices."
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