IndiGo orders 180 airplanes; sets a record in commercial aviation history

Mumbai: Low-cost carrier IndiGo has placed firm orders for 180 Airbus 320 aircraft at an estimated cost of $ 15.6 billion. The order is the single largest for jets, in terms of volume, to be ever placed in the commercial aviation history.
It is not the first time that IndiGo has placed a brow-raising order though. The Gurgaon-based private carrier created ripples in the 2005 Paris airshow with an announcement to buy 100 A320s. Currently, the airline flies 34 A320s to 25 domestic destinations and plans to go international by August this year.
The airline signed a Memorandum of Understanding for 180 eco-efficient Airbus A320 aircraft of which 150 will be A320 NEO, said an Airbus spokesperson adding that the order was the largest in history. The A320 New Engine Option or NEO runs more efficient engines will be available from 2016 onwards. The aircraft has specially designed wing tips -- called Sharklets by Airbus -- that will reduce the aerodynamic drag which develops at the wingtips of a moving aircraft in the form of vortices. Sharklets will lad to fuel savings of up to 15 percent, which is up to 3,600 tonnes of CO2 annually per aircraft, says Airbus. The Neo will also provide a double-digit reduction in nitrogen oxides and will have a reduced engine noise.
12/01/11 Manju Vayalar/Times of India

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Categories: Foreign Jan 2011, Indigo Airlines Jan 2011, New Jan 2011