JetBlue Founder's Startup Airline 'Moxy' Places Firm Order for 60 Airbus A220s
An upstart US airline from JetBlue founder David Neeleman, placed a firm order for 60 new Airbus A220-300 aircraft on Thursday morning.
The order was originally unveiled in July 2018 as a memorandum of understanding between the airline, which has the working name Moxy, and the aircraft manufacturer. Plans to launch Moxy, which will be a low-cost carrier, were also announced last July at the Farnborough Air Show, where sources told TPG's Mike Arnot that the airline would likely officially take off around 2021.
Moxy executives firmed up the jet order in the last week of December, Airbus said on Thursday.
"The A220-300 is the right airplane for a new airline that will be focused on passenger service and satisfaction," Neeleman said in a release Thursday. "With a low cost of operation and spacious cabin, the A220 will allow us to provide passengers with lower fares and a high quality, comfortable flying experience. The A220's ability to operate profitably in thin, underserved markets across a broad spectrum of ranges is unique."
Airbus' A220 product seats 100 to 150 passengers and is the rebranded C Series aircraft manufactured by Bombardier. It is touted as being one of the most fuel efficient planes available. In October, Delta became the first airline in North America to receive an A220 aircraft, the smaller -100 variant, and will be launching its first flight on the jet on Jan. 31. TPG's Darren Murph took an extensive tour of Delta's A220-100.
The larger -300 variant, which Moxy has ordered, has a top range of about 3,200 nautical miles. Airbus says Moxy's jets will be manufactured in a new facility in Mobile, Alabama, which will be adjacent to the existing Airbus A320 assembly facility.
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