flee 5 Report post Posted July 26, 2016 Will Norwegian’s Airbus A321LR order lead a move into smaller long-haul markets? Flying narrowbody aircraft across the Atlantic is nothing new. But the arrival of longer-range versions of the Boeing 737 and Airbus A320, able to fly at much lower unit costs than the legacy Boeing 757, is creating fresh opportunities, along with Bombardier’s C Series. Norwegian’s announcement in July that it plans to build a fleet of 30 Airbus A321LRs took the market by surprise. The Scandinavian low-cost carrier (LCC) so far uses only Boeing aircraft across its short- and long-haul network, and adding a new aircraft type will introduce complexity, something it has rigorously avoided in the past. Choosing the A321LR is a strong reminder that airlines—at least in Western and Northern Europe—now see more small markets they can target for growth. The development, if substantial and sustained, should be of great concern to legacy carriers operating from large hubs in Europe and the U.S. because it has the potential to undermine the feeder traffic needed at most large long-haul bases. Narrowbody Aircraft Going Long-Haul? Norwegian places order for 30 Airbus A321LRs Lower unit costs, smaller seat capacity open up new markets for long-haul operations Bombardier pitches C Series for medium- to long-range services More here: http://aviationweek.com/commercial-aviation/airlines-plan-long-haul-narrowbody-routes?NL=AW-05&Issue=AW-05_20160725_AW-05_50&sfvc4enews=42&cl=article_1&utm_rid=CPEN1000001730546&utm_campaign=6513&utm_medium=email&elq2=3a3fa3e883c34ac0b56a5fc828f0120d Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
