Airbus has announced a lower weight variant of the popular A330-300, optimised for use on domestic and regional routes in high growth markets with large populations and concentrated traffic flows.
With China seen as one of the most important potential markets, the new model will be optimised to seat up to around 400 passengers for missions up to 3,000nm and offer significant cost savings through a reduced operational weight of around 200 tonnes. It is anticipated fuel burn per seat and maintenance costs will be reduced by up to 15 per cent compared with the long-range A330-300 variants.
Launched at Beijing’s Aviation Expo China, Airbus said operators of the new A330-300 variant will benefit from a proven, mature and reliable aircraft.
Airbus CEO Fabrice Brégier said: “We are announcing the new A330-300 lower weight variant in China because here we see strong pent-up demand for efficient and reliable widebody aircraft connecting mega cities such as Beijing, Shanghai, Chengdu and Guangzhou.”
