Pegasus selects up to 100 A320neo family aircraft

Pegasus Airlines has signed for up to 100 A320neo Family aircraft (58 A320neo and 17 A321neo models), of which 75 are firm orders.

Pegasus becomes a new Airbus customer and the first Turkish airline to order the A320neo.

This is the largest single commercial aircraft order ever placed by an airline in Turkey, and was announced today at a ceremony attended by Binali Yýldýrým, the Turkish Minister of transport, maritime affairs and communication, Ali Sabanci, chairman of Pegasus, Sertac Haybat, CEO of Pegasus and Christopher Buckley, Airbus executive vice president Europe, Asia and Pacific.

“It is with great pride that we are placing the biggest order in the history of Turkish civil aviation with Airbus for up to 100 A320neo Family aircraft,” said Sabanci. “At Pegasus, we believe that everyone has the right to fly, and the A320neo with its 15% fuel burn reduction combined with superior cabin comfort made it without a doubt the best choice for achieving our ambitious future development plans.”

“We are delighted to welcome Pegasus as a new Airbus customer,” said John Leahy, Airbus chief operating officer, customers. “Airlines around the world are focused on growing their business profitably and the A320neo offers them a solution for doing just that. New generation technologies on the NEO, such as Sharklets and more efficient engines will cut fuel burn by 15%, and in addition operators will benefit from the proven high reliability of the A320 Family.”

Pegasus’ new aircraft will be configured in an all economy layout with 180 seats in the A320neo and 220 seats in the A321neo. They will be deployed on Pegasus’ network from Istanbul to destinations in Turkey, Europe and the Middle East.

According to Airbus, by incorporating new engines and large 'Sharklet' wing tip devices, the A320neo Family will deliver fuel savings of 15%. The reduction in fuel burn is equivalent to 1.4 million litres of fuel - the consumption of 1,000 mid size cars, saving 3,600 tonnes of C02 per aircraft per year. In addition, the A320neo Family will provide a double-digit reduction in NOx emissions and reduced engine noise.

Industry analyst Saj Ahmad commented: "This is a big win for Airbus, not just because it takes away headlines from Boeing's hot selling 737 MAX, but also because they've snared a big 737 customer, much in the way Boeing snared Silk Air for the 737MAX , a current A320 customer.

"What makes the Pegasus order eye-catching is the size. Much of what is on order is to replace the existing 737 fleet with growth in tow, but with the carrier looking to leverage its growth thanks to a continued surge in traffic to and through Turkey, Airbus has arguably got itself a coup - and it's quite possible that the deferral of various A320neo's from the likes of ailing Virgin America are amongst the key reasons why Pegasus opted to roll over its fleet."

Ahmad added: "As things stand, over the long run, both 737MAX and A320neo will maintain a degree of market parity, much in the way todays 737 Next Generation and A320 Classic families do, so we shouldn't get too enthralled by orders that involve a change of type from one OEM to another. It's been happening since the dawn of aviation and will continue to play out that way as fleets get replaced."