Jetstar Pacific expands A320 fleet
Jetstar Pacific has delivery of another new Airbus A320 aircraft.
The additional aircraft will bring the Vietnam-based low-cost carrier’s fleet of A320s to three, and allows the retirement of an older Boeing 737-400 aircraft. The airline’s four remaining B737s are expected to be phased out by early 2013 as the carrier prepares to grow to an all-A320 fleet of up to 15 aircraft.
The move follows Vietnam Airlines taking a majority 68% stake in Jetstar Pacific earlier this year. Qantas also owns 30% of the airline, and between them the two partners have since injected an estimated US$25 million in the venture. Jetstar’s Group CEO Jayne Hrdlicka said Jetstar Pacific’s fleet renewal programme was a key priority for the new partnership.
“A more modern fleet will deliver significant cost improvements in terms of fuel efficiency and maintenance. There are also some significant economies of scale advantages across the Jetstar Group from having the same aircraft type for all our short haul flying,” said Ms Hrdlicka. “We’re focused on delivering a consistent customer experience across all Jetstar-branded airlines, particularly with the growing number of passengers connecting on our different networks, and a common aircraft type is part of that.
“Vietnam is an important part of the Jetstar Group’s expansion plans across Asia Pacific and holds tremendous opportunity for expanding leisure travel as one of the fastest growing aviation markets in the world,” she added.
The A320 delivered to Jetstar Pacific was sourced through leasing company, Aviation Capital Group.