Hawaiian Airlines has announced it has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with Airbus to buy six A330-800neos from 2019, and has taken purchase rights on an additional six aircraft.
The order replaces Hawaiian’s current order for six A350-800s which had been due for delivery from 2017, and will supplement the airline’s current fleet of 294-seat two-class A330-200s.
“The A330-800neo’s fuel efficiency, additional range and commonality with our existing A330 fleet makes the A330-800neo an elegant solution to our need for growth aircraft toward the end of this decade,” Hawaiian Airlines president and CEO Mark Dunkerley said in a statement.
Hawaiian’s A330neo order is a reflection of waning interest in the A350-800, which has been pushed back to be the last A350 model to enter service and before Hawaiian’s change, was holding a backlog of just 34 aircraft. Indeed, many analysts believe the A350-800 will not go-ahead in deference to the cheaper A330neo.
