JetBlue is launch customer for Airbus Airspace A320 cabin

JetBlue director-product development Mariya Stoyanova and Airbus VP-cabin marketing Ingo Wuggetzer unveil the agreement at APEX Expo for JetBlue to be the global launch airline of the new A320 Airspace cabin—coming to its A320 family fleet from 2020.
(Airbus)

Airbus revealed JetBlue Airways as the launch customer for its new Airspace A320-family cabin Sept. 26 at the Airline Passenger Experience Association (APEX) expo in Long Beach, California, and unveiled a mock-up of the interior.

New York-based LCC JetBlue is planning to use the cabin on its Airbus neos. Features of the new cabin include larger bins offering 40% more bag volume, updates to the aircraft lavatory such as antibacterial surfaces, and a new LED lighting feature that illuminates custom patterns on the top of the aircraft.

JetBlue plans to receive the first aircraft with the new Airspace cabin in 2020. The airline has not yet decided on details such as seat count and the IFE system that will go into the new cabin, JetBlue director-product development Mariya Stoyanova said. More details about the fleet and layout details likely will be available in 2019, Airbus VP-cabin marketing Ingo Wuggetzer said.

JetBlue operated 130 Airbus A320s at the end of June, according to a recent Securities and Exchange Commission regulatory filing. The airline also had 43 A321s and 60 Embraer E190s in service. In addition, the LCC expects to receive 25 A320neos, 20 A321s, 60 A321neos and 24 E190s between 2017 and 2024. It expects to start receiving the A321neo in 2019, followed by the A320neo in 2020.

Airbus announced the Airspace cabin for the A330neo and A350 in 2016, and then launched the A320 version in June. It plans to offer the full A320 Airspace cabin in 2020, but plans to make the larger bins available in 2019, Wuggetzer said.

(Kristin Majcher - Aviation Daily / ATWOnline News)