Virgin Atlantic has ordered 10 Airbus A330-300 aircraft, which are set to become the first long-haul twin-jets for the UK carrier.
Five aircraft will be delivered in 2011 and another five in 2012. No engine selection has yet been disclosed.
Virgin Atlantic says they will provide capacity ahead of the carrier's introduction of Boeing 787-9 aircraft from 2013.
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It is to lease four of the A330s from lessor AerCap, and purchase the other six from Airbus. The carrier disclosed the agreement for the twin-jets today after months of deliberation about an interim type to fill a capacity gap ahead of taking 15 Boeing 787-9s.
The airline indicates that it will deploy the aircraft on routes such as Beijing, Vancouver and Cancun.
Virgin Atlantic says the order is worth around $2.1 billion, and that it has secured financing for all the aircraft via AerCap. It adds that the aircraft will be 10% more fuel-efficient than its current Airbus A340-300s, of which it has six.
Chief executive Steve Ridgway says: "Despite the worst economic conditions in decades, we are focusing on sustainable growth in the years ahead using the most fuel-efficient aircraft possible."
The airline states that it will select an engine supplier during the summer.
It has not detailed the configuration of the A330s but says they can seat up to 270 passengers. The airline adds that passengers will have access to in-seat USB ports and be able to use personal messaging services on their phones.
"We will be the first UK long-haul airline to roll out this service across its fleet," it claims.
Virgin Atlantic's switch to A330s and 787s is something of a climbdown for the carrier, which publicly underlined its preference for using four-engined Airbus A340 and Boeing 747 aircraft, rather than twin-jets, on long-haul routes.
Source: Air Transport Intelligence news
