Avianca adds its first Airbus a320neo in Costa Rica
- With this addition, the airline now has eight planes with NEO (New Engine Option) in its fleet. This is the third such plane to fly to Central America and the first based in Costa Rica.
- NEO technology allows eco-efficient operation with up to 15% less fuel use.
Avianca has announced the addition of its first plane with NEO technology for Costa Rica. This airplane, the eighth of its kind in the airline’s fleet, is coming to offer passengers beginning their journey in this country a world-class flight experience. The company is continuing its efforts to win its clients’ loyalty and capitalize on its Latin American leadership by serving its travelers with the most advanced flight technology available.
This new plane from the Avianca fleet boasts eco-efficient engines, which give it its name, NEO (New Engine Option). The LEAP 1a engines are supported by CFM International, a specialized division of GM Aviation known for their technical reliability. The engines allow for an additional fuel efficiency of up to 15%, and a decrease in their noise and environmental pollution indices. They generate 50% less noise and their CO2 emissions are about 5,000 tons lower per year.
“Avianca remains committed to Costa Rica and the region. The addition of the first aircraft with NEO technology in the country is proof of this. It brings with it new horizons in Experience and On-Board Service that attest to its leadership position in this geography. The next-generation technology offered by this plane, which is arriving directly from the Airbus factory in Toulouse is also proof of the efforts Airbus has undertaken to continue earning our clients’ loyalty, which is the beginning and end of everything that we do”, explained Silvia Mosquera, Vice-President of Sales, Marketing and Revenue at Avianca.
“We are very happy that this next-generation plane will allow longer flights from Costa Rica that are more efficient in their use of fuel, which is very important for us, as a sustainable tourism country”, noted Maria Amalia Revelo, the Costa Rican Minister of Tourism.
“This month, we are celebrating the tenth anniversary of the LEAP program’s launch in July 2008”, said Gaël Méheust, President and CEO of CFM International. “The LEAP development program is unprecedented in the industry. Over five years, we have simultaneously designed three engines and the team has done phenomenal work keeping everything on time. In fact, we actually developed the first complete LEAP engine in 2013, two days before the date we had set in 2008. At the end of the day, we have designed an engine that meets all our commitments and we are incredibly proud of this achievement. But even more importantly, our Avianca customers love this engine. That is the true measure of our success.”
The plane, in addition to its eco-efficient engines, has sharklets on the edge of its wings. These aerodynamic devices generate an additional optimization in fuel consumption of up to 4%. In this manner, re-engineering engines allows the plane to offer a larger cargo capacity (1.8 tons) and to have a larger operating range, with a capacity to fly some 500 miles farther than planes equipped with traditional CEO engines.
Airbus and Avianca have configured the A320Neo with 153 seats: 12 in business class and 141 in economy. In business class, in addition to offering greater space between seats – at over 40 inches – it offers one of the best ergonomic solutions on the market thanks to its makeup and design. Additionally, the entire cabin is equipped with a system of LED lighting, allowing enhanced ambiance on route for travelers’ wellness.
The plane has a renovated on-board entertainment system, which helps travelers to navigate their options on individual screens. They also include a USB port for passengers to connect their devices. Additionally, the inclusion of wireless functionality allows customers to control the content of their screens using their mobile devices by using the Avianca Entertainment application, available for iOS and Android.
This plane is the third in a series of aircraft with NEO technology that will be arriving in Central America throughout 2018. The first two planes were initially assigned to routes from North America through San Salvador International Airport in El Salvador.
This third plane will begin operations on the Toronto-San José route via San Salvador and will then be added into the US routes.
Avianca is proving its position as an operator with the latest aviation technology worldwide, with an average age of 6.8 throughout its fleet, making it one of the youngest carriers in the Americas.
New routes and schedules from Costa Rica
With the launch of new routes, Avianca continues to strengthen connections with Costa Rica through the hubs of San Salvador and Bogotá. The expansion of the Avianca network to be implemented in the second half of 2018 is as follows:
- San José-Guatemala City-Orlando: Beginning on August 2nd, with three flights per week. From San José on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays and from Orlando on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays.
- San José-San Salvador-Boston: Beginning on August 17th, with four flights per week on Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays and Sundays.
- San José-Guatemala City-Chicago: Beginning on October 29th with daily flights.
- San José-Bogotá-Munich: Beginning on November 16th with five weekly flights on Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays from San José, and Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays from Munich.