Aegean Airlines' breakthrough: a special fleet of A321LRs to fly to Asia
Greek airline Aegean Airlines, a member of Star Alliance, is playing the A321neo LR card with the announcement of the launch [...]
Aegean Airlines
Star Alliance
ATH
The Greek airline Aegean Airlines, a member of Star Alliance, is playing the A321neo LR card with the announcement of the launch of a special "mini" fleet of these aircraft that will drive a medium- to long-haul network.
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The carrier's goal is to strengthen the flights between Europe and Asia with a premium offering, that is, raising the level of in-flight services to be more competitive from its Athens hub.
Route over India, the Emirates and Africa
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Between 2026 and 2027, in fact, the company will receive four A321neo configured with additional fuel tanks that will be able to provide a flight autonomy approaching 8 hours. A change of perspective to fly single-aisle aircraft beyond the European Union.
In fact, the four aircraft are just the first in a new fleet that will be entirely dedicated to a network that will include theSaudi Arabia (Riyadh and Jeddah), Dubai, and new routes to Bahrain, Qatar and Oman.
But Aegean's expansion also includes the launch of new routes headed for India (Delhi and Mumbai) and Kazakhstan; as well as a focus on Africa (Lagos in Nigeria, Addis Ababa in Ethiopia, and Nairobi in Kenya).
New Business cabin coming soon
These destinations (excluding those in the Gulf) are mainly served by airlines flying from European capitals with widebody aircraft (twin-aisle) both for longer flight duration and to ensure higher fills. Aegean's bet, however, is precisely to launch a competitive network with its A321s.
Indeed, the cabin configuration of these new aircraft reflects this strategy: the number of seats on board drops from 220 in the standard A321neo version to 180 with the introduction of the Business class With fully reclining armchairs.
A first for the Greek carrier, which flies only in an all-economy configuration on its current A321neo. The cabins, the servizi food & beverage services and the IFE of this special "mini-flotation" will be presented by summer.
Dimitris Gerogiannis, ceo of Aegean Airlines, said, "We believe in the great opportunity of development in markets outside the EU, whether in the Gulf area, Africa or regions of Asia that could be served with a special range of our A321s. We will also offer, in addition, a totally new level of comfort, and we aim to expand this special fleet of aircraft."
To date the Aegean fleet consists of 14 Airbus A320neo , 12 A321neo , six A321 , 27 A320 , two DASH 8 100 , three ATR 42-600 and ten ATR 72-600.