Avianca Airlines, a leading airline in Latin America, has achieved a significant milestone by completing the reconfiguration of its entire fleet of 104 Airbus A320 aircraft.
This ambitious project, which took less than two years to accomplish, involved the collaboration of over 1,500 trained technicians and experts from Avianca, Recaro, and Airbus.
The primary objective of this fleet reconfiguration was to enhance the passenger experience and optimize operational efficiency. The new cabin layout offers a remarkable 20% increase in capacity per aircraft, accommodating a total of 180 seats, which are divided into three categories: Premium, Plus, and Economy. This increase in capacity enables Avianca to transport more passengers per flight and offer more competitive prices while contributing to the decongestion of busy airports.
The reconfigured fleet will also make a significant contribution to Avianca’s sustainability goals. With the completion of this project, CO2 emissions per passenger transported are expected to be reduced by up to 15.35%. By embracing a more environmentally responsible approach, Avianca is making its operations more sustainable and aligning itself with current industry trends and global efforts to combat climate change.
During the course of 2022, Avianca successfully transported over 24.6 million passengers on 187,000 flights, showcasing the company’s commitment to excellent service and operational efficiency. This achievement further establishes Avianca as a key player in the Latin American airline industry.
Avianca President and CEO, Adrian Neuhauser, expressed immense pride in the success of this endeavor, stating, “We are very proud of this milestone for Avianca and for the industry around the world. They told us we were being too ambitious wanting to do this in-house and in less than two years. Even so, we achieved it together with more than 1,500 experts from our MRO and other areas of Avianca, and with the help of allies such as Recaro, our seat manufacturer, and Airbus, the manufacturer of this fleet and who developed the engineering, who were fundamental in moving forward with this project even during difficult situations such as the pandemic, the war in Europe or the shortage of some supplies.”
The successful completion of this reconfiguration project was made possible through the collaborative efforts of Avianca, Airbus, and Recaro. Recaro Aircraft Seating’s CEO, Dr. Mark Hiller, emphasized the importance of such partnerships, saying, “Accomplishing this tremendous milestone was only possible through close collaboration with Avianca and Airbus, and I am very proud of our teams who worked around the clock to bring this new passenger experience to life. We take pride in producing sustainable solutions for our customers and their passengers; it’s what drives us forward as a company and an industry.”
Yohan Closs, Vice President of Services for Airbus Latin America & the Caribbean, acknowledged the extraordinary nature of this reconfiguration project, in light of the challenges faced, including supply chain disruptions caused by the pandemic. Closs stated, “The selection for Airbus’ SpaceFlex Next Generation for more than 100 A320 aircraft is unprecedented, having this number of aircraft retrofitted and returned into service in a two-year time frame during a supply chain crisis is an outstanding achievement.”
Avianca’s successful fleet reconfiguration not only improves the passenger experience but also demonstrates the company’s commitment to sustainability and its resilience in the face of challenges. With a renewed focus on operational efficiency, enhanced capacity, and reduced carbon emissions, Avianca is well-positioned to continue delivering exceptional service and drive positive change within the aviation industry.
