News
Airbus A330 sets standard in Asia-Pacific region
Feb. 13, 2014, Singapore - The Airbus A330’s Asia-Pacific market presence will continue to grow in the coming years, with more and more customers opting for this widebody jetliner.
February 13, 2014 By Carey Fredericks
Currently, some 465 A330-200 and A330-300 passenger versions are flown by Asia-Pacific carriers. Operating the largest number of these jetliners are: AirAsia X, Air China, Asiana Airlines, Cathay Pacific, China Airlines, China Eastern Airlines, China Southern Airlines, Dragonair, Garuda Indonesia Airways, Korean Air, Malaysia Airlines, Philippine Airlines, Qantas, Singapore Airlines and Thai Airways International.
The Asia-Pacific region is a commercial “hotspot” for the A330 according to Jean Ladoues, Airbus’ A330 Marketing Director, who added that more than 30 per cent of the aircraft’s global customer base is in this area.
A hallmark of the A330 Family has always been its very low operating cost per seat, and thanks to the introduction of numerous product improvements – including enhancements for improved range, fuel capacity, CO2 emissions, schedule reliability and other qualities – it remains the most cost-effective aircraft in its class.
Ladoues said that the continuous improvement is a major factor contributing to the A330’s popularity in the region. “We are keeping the aircraft very competitive with numerous improvements, and the Asia-Pacific market is very attentive to this because of rising airline competition,” he explained. “A competitive aircraft is vital to such a high-growth market.”
Additional qualities that have made the A330 a major success among Asia-Pacific operators are its continued in-service reliability, the flexibility in terms of customer requirements and cabin comfort. And because the local population is very “connected” to the digital world, Airbus’ A330 supports the latest in-flight entertainment – including video-on-demand, mobile phones and e-mail via satellite.
The A330-200F also is popular with Asia-Pacific carriers, with this all-cargo version currently utilized by Malaysia Airlines, Hong Kong Airlines, Yangtze River Express Airlines and Hainan Airlines.
