Germania becomes new Airbus A321 operator

Aircraft equipped with Sharklet wing tip fuel saving devices
S.A.T., the holding company of the Berlin-based German carrier Germania, has taken delivery of its first out of two A321s on order. Both aircraft are equipped with Airbus’ wing tip fuel saving devices, called Sharklets. The airline has already been operating eight A319 successfully since 2011.

The new Germania A321 will operate exclusively for Alltours, one of Germany’s biggest travel agencies. The airline has chosen a spacious single class cabin layout for 208 passengers. The cabin will be equipped with a state-of-the-art entertainment system, featuring video screens and in-seat audio channels. The aircraft will be powered by CFM engines.

“The delivery of our first brand-new A321 marks the beginning of a new era for Germania,’’ said Andreas Wobig,’’ Germania Chief Executive Officer. ‘‘With 208 seats, the aircraft capacity is one third higher than the jets we currently operate. This means that in the future, charter and scheduled flights on particularly popular routes can be operated even more economically. We are delighted with our A321s as they are especially fuel-efficient and make an important contribution to climate protection.”

“We are delighted that Germania has become the latest operator of the largest member of the hugely successful A320-Family. Thanks to Airbus’ unique commonality, the new A321s will fit seamlessly into Germania’s exiting fleet of Airbus A319s. The Sharklets will deliver Germania up to four percent in reduced fuel burn whilst passengers will benefit from the A320 family’s widest and most comfortable cabin,” said John Leahy, Chief Operating Officer, Customers.

Sharklets are made from light-weight composites and are 2.4 meters tall. They offer operators up to four percent fuel burn reduction on longer range sectors and provide the flexibility of either adding an additional 100 nautical miles range or increased payload capability of up to 450 kilograms.

Airbus has been delivering Sharklets as an option on new-build A320 Family aircraft since December 2012. In addition, the Sharklet retrofit option is being sold for newer aircraft delivered with the wings structurally reinforced in production. All members of the A320neo Family will be fitted with Sharklets as standard. The A320neo will enter into service in October 2015.

The A320 Family is the world’s best-selling and most modern single aisle aircraft Family. To date, over 10,000 A320 Family aircraft have been ordered and over 5800 delivered to 390 customers and operators worldwide. With proven reliability and extended servicing periods, the A320 Family has the lowest operating costs of any single-aisle aircraft.