New A320 plane against the heat. Airbus a320neo: how it differs from the rest. News, prospects, interesting facts

Just recently, just two years ago, Marina and I photografersha welcomed the first takeoff of the A320neo in Toulouse (I wrote more about this), and already in January 2016 the first aircraft was handed over to the first operator - Lufthansa. Before the summer, the A320neo aircraft of the German carrier flew almost all the time only on domestic flights, now they are already flying around Europe. What do we know about the new aircraft that an attentive passenger would be interested in knowing? Fuel savings of up to 15% thanks to the use of new engines and sharklets, reduction of CO and NO emissions - all this is important for business and environmentalists, but the interior, noise level and comfort are IMPORTANT to you and me!

But let's start with the appearance. However, only aviation enthusiasts will notice the external changes... The A320neo differs from the aircraft of the previous A320 family simply by its huge engines... It is impossible not to notice them even from afar...

How to recognize him?

Here we are Marina photografersha In September 2014 we meet the A320neo after its first flight. Watch the detailed report if you missed it.

And here he is waiting for me at the boarding bridge on a regular regular flight Frankfurt-Berlin:

Pratt & Whitney PW1100G engines are visually very large indeed!

D-AINB is the second A320neo to be delivered to the German national air carrier.

I immediately go to the Flightradar24 app, look at the list of flights the plane has flown on in the previous 2-3 days, as well as the age of the plane and its history. You always do this before a flight too, right?!

Salon

Lufthansa's cabin is standard on a narrowbody fleet, nothing unusual. Thin and light ergonomic Recaro seats, excellent seating and legroom everywhere are enough for a comfortable flight for several hours.

Unfortunately, Airbus did not introduce a new interior concept in the A320neo generation and, in particular, redesign the configuration of the luggage racks. I really like how Boeing implemented this in Sky Interior. The luggage compartments in the new Boeing 737 close upward, increasing the space in the cabin very noticeably.

I note that in the spring of 2016, Airbus introduced a new interior concept “Airspace by Airbus”, which contains all the innovations that make travel much more comfortable, regardless of the class of service in which you fly.

There are no differences in the A320neo; the luggage compartments still open downwards. They are just as spacious.

New engines

The most discussed point in the aviation environment is a very important technical nuance in the operation of the new Pratt & Whitney PW1100G engines. Before taxiing, the current engine modification requires a relatively long period to initiate operation - up to 6-10 minutes. This is a very significant time for airlines, because every minute is important, the plane should not be on the ground.

However, the A320neo is also supplied with an engine from another manufacturer - CFM International LEAP-1A, which was certified in the summer and since July A320neo has been supplied to new customers with engines from CFM. There is no such nuance in the work here, and there are no delays, which is critical for low-cost carriers.

I knew about this nuance of the work, I tried to record the moment of delay between the return towing from the telescopic ladder using a tractor before the start of taxiing, the delay was actually about 10 minutes. After landing, I also asked the pilots this question.

Let's fly! :)

Time to have lunch!
I love Lufthansa for little things like this, even on hour-long flights:

Noise level in the cabin

It felt quieter, but only slightly.
The flight was about 70% full, so I moved around the cabin trying to feel the difference. Advertising talks about reducing the noise profile by up to 50%, but obviously this is some kind of marketing value; in real life the noise level is slightly lower. For example, in the A380 or A350, as well as in the Dreamliner, the noise level is significantly lower than in previous generations of wide-body airliners.

However, I downloaded the noise level app for iOS! Thank you for your advice, Victor khmelikvictor ! Of course, these are toys, but you can get some kind of figure, but can you trust it?

My flight was on April 17, Sunday, and literally the next day - April 18, I again flew somewhere on the A320, also with Lufthansa. Therefore, the comparison happened immediately. The application allows you to measure the noise level for some time using the built-in microphone, then you can record the result with a screenshot with a photo.

Left - A320neo
First - A320

1. During takeoff, the noisiest moment in the cabin is near the window approximately 5-8 rows on the right.

Left - A320neo
First - A320

2. At an altitude of 10 thousand meters, standing in the passage.

Left - A320neo
First - A320

In both cases, even my A320neo came out a little noisier, the conclusion is that you cannot trust this program. All these are just toys from the app store.

The highlight is the new toilet

But here everyone will notice the difference!
This is what it looks like tail section airplane. Now there are no toilets on the left and right; passengers in the last row are a little more comfortable to sit.

Thanks to the modified cabin configuration, both toilets are located at the rear, and they can also be configured into one large one for passengers with special needs. This, in my opinion, is a very serious customer-oriented step by the aircraft manufacturer.

Interior lighting diagrams

Lufthansa does not have any special lighting schemes in the A320, with the exception of one small but very pleasant moment - a yellow LED strip in the recess of the luggage rack handles. In the evening, when the lighting is dim, it looks great. I haven’t seen this in anyone else’s A320/A321, with the exception of the Transaero A321, which, unfortunately, is already a thing of the past.

But this is not an innovation of the A320neo; all A320/A321 aircraft of the German airline have such lighting.

Cockpit

After landing in Tegel, I can't help but ask permission to take a photo of the cockpit. I was allowed, even though the time before the return flight was very short.

View from above

Berlin Tegel Airport has a wonderful observation deck on the roof of the main terminal, of course, after collecting my luggage, I went there. Was beautiful weather, but I only had a 50mm lens, and the spotting with it was so-so. How many times have I been convinced that you can’t just take a telephoto or wide-screen camera, but it will be absolutely indispensable.

With the big engines of the A320neo, everyone takes photos and selfies!

Already now (as of September 1, 2016), Airbus has 4,796 aircraft of the A320neo family (A319, A320, A321) in its order book. Since the beginning of the year, 18 aircraft have already been delivered to customers. This is the fastest-ordered aircraft in the world. And the market share in this segment compared to the Boeing 737MAX is currently 60/40. So this is definitely the plane that you and I will be flying very soon.

In July, Airbus delivered the first A320neo with CFM LEAP engines to Turkish low-cost carrier Pegasus:

And in September, AirAsia received the A320neo.

On September 26, 2016, the A321neo test aircraft arrived in Budapest, which is now undergoing a certification program. Hungarian low-cost carrier WizzAir will receive the first of 110 in 2019 Airbus aircraft A321neo ordered at the 2015 Paris Airshow. Deliveries of the A321neo will continue until the end of 2024.

The future has arrived

Very soon the first A320neo will be delivered to the first airline in the CIS - AirAstana. So watch carefully during your next flight, we are already living in tomorrow, maybe at some point we will fly on an A320neo?!

On the one hand, from the passenger’s point of view, this aircraft is practically no different from the previous generation, being its evolutionary continuation. There are no things here that cause a wow effect. However, thanks to invisible technical innovations, the aircraft becomes more economical and efficient to use, ultimately reducing the cost of an air ticket for you and me and increasing the degree of reliability and safety. And this is the future!

My plane flies back to Frankfurt, I rent it with fifty dollars observation deck. By the way, in the background is Angela Merkel's Airbus A340.

Travel more often!
Fly with a smile :)

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In 2010, the European aircraft manufacturing concern Airbus announced the start design work over A320neo. This narrow-body jet is the result of a deep redesign of the basic version of the A320.

At the presentation of the A320neo in 2011 in Paris Airbus company concluded transactions whose total value exceeded sixty billion dollars.

In 2014, the first copy took off into the skies of France. Two years later, the German carrier Lufthansa received this new product for use. The cost of the liner is up to 110 million dollars.

The A320neo family also includes the A319neo (short) and A321neo (long).

Airbus A320neo is an improved model with a fundamentally new category of engines. Installing large (more than 2 meters in diameter) LEAP-1A or PW1100G engines on an aircraft contributes to the following changes:

reduction in kerosene consumption by 15 - 17%
reduction in operating costs by 8 – 10%
reduction of harmful emissions into the natural atmosphere by more than 10%
noise reduction
increase in flight range by 960 kilometers
increase in carrying capacity by 2000 kilograms

The airframe itself was also modernized: “sharklets” (shark fins) were installed at the tips of the wings, the air conditioning system was redesigned, and the luggage compartment was made larger.

According to manufacturers, thanks to the latest engines and unique wingtips (2.4 meters), maintenance and operating costs will be reduced by almost a quarter compared to the base model. Among his cars Airbus class The A320neo has the most low level noise.

Externally, the A320neo almost completely replicates the appearance of the A320 model. The difference was the widespread use of composites (glass and carbon fiber reinforced plastic) and aluminum alloys. This made the structure more durable, lightweight and ergonomic.

The aircraft has modern cockpit equipment. The company "Thomson - CSF" supplied a unique complex software. “Intellectual filling” displays data on LCD monitors and warns about emergency situations. All equipment is certified and meets the requirements of the ARINC 700 standard.

Changes to the interior

The improvements also affected passenger compartment. The backlight is made using modern LEDs. The interior decoration will satisfy the most demanding taste.

The distance between the rows has increased, creating more space for the passenger. There are stands for gadgets (tablets, smartphones, laptops), sockets and USB connectors: two pieces for three rows of chairs. These changes affected both business class and economy class. Press and booklets are placed in pockets at the top of the chair. The kitchen areas have also become much larger, which is beneficial for flight attendants.

A distinctive feature and advantage of the new liner was the absence of toilets directly behind the last row. Now two bathrooms are equipped at the rear of the aircraft.

Overview of places (diagram)

IN Airbus cabin A320neo, the first two rows (8 seats) are reserved for business class. Arrangement: two chairs in two rows.

Economy class can accommodate 156 people. Single-aisle 3/3 seating system. Compared to the A320, there are six more seats.

The best rows are 3 (no seats in front), 10, 11 (seats at emergency exits). In the twenty-eighth row, the seat backs do not have the ability to recline.

Flight parameters of the A320neo model:

Wingspan - 35.8 meters
Machine length – 37.57 meters
Aircraft height – 11.76 meters
Take-off weight – 73900 kilograms
Type of motors (2 pieces) - LEAP-1A
Maximum thrust - 2 * 120.6 kgf
Maximum speed – 876 km/h
Soaring speed (cruising) – 833 km/h
Flight range – 6500 kilometers
Flight altitude (maximum ceiling) – 12,000 kilometers
Crew – 2 pilots
Payload (passenger capacity) – 189 people in economy class or up to 150 people in a two-class layout.

Last news:

In 2017, S7 Airlines (a brand of the Russian air carrier Sibir) acquired the first A320neo. A total of 16 copies are planned to be purchased. The car is painted in the traditional, bright green color of the company. Passengers have already appreciated the level of comfort offered. It is noted that in the future these airbuses will form the basis of the S7 fleet. In the spring of 2018, S7 Airlines will begin direct message between Moscow and the Spanish resort island of Tenerife. There will be flights from Domodedovo Airport twice a week.

The Russian holding "Engineering" has modernized the painting hangar; it is here that the aircraft for the S7 fleet are painted. At the S7 Aviation Training Center “Engineering”, technical specialists are being trained to service A320neo airbuses. Contractual relations have been concluded to carry out heavy repairs at the sites of this technical holding.

Aviation conglomerate Airbus at its plant in China plans to increase the monthly number of A320 aircraft produced to five copies. At the beginning of 2020, this figure will increase to six. A corresponding bilateral agreement has already been signed.

Prospects and competition in the sky

Airbus plans to produce and sell more than 4,700 copies of its A320 aircraft to commercial customers over the next fifteen years. Back in 2011, it entered into an unprecedented contract with the Malaysian carrier AirAsia for the supply of two hundred aircraft.

The increased global demand for conquering regional distances laid the foundation for new developments by the world's leading aircraft manufacturers. Many commercial carriers are beginning to phase out wide-body airliners. The most popular are twin-engine airliners with a narrow fuselage. There is a widespread replacement of heavy, high-budget cars with more economical models.

The main competitors of the A320neo are the latest airliners for short and medium routes Boeing 737MAX, Bombardier CSeries, Comac C919 and MC-21. All models are extremely promising and comfortable.

Aircraft manufacturer Airbus has great amount orders for the delivery of the A320neo, as well as other aircraft of the family: A319, A320 and A321.

Analyzing the first years of operation of this aircraft and the speed at which applications were received, we can call this aircraft a leader in continental transportation.

What does the first Airbus A320neo of S7 Airlines look like on a real flight, and not in pictures from presentations? Let's get a look.

↓ 2. A colleague boarded one of the first Airbus A320neo (VQ-BCF) flights of S7 Airlines from Novosibirsk to Moscow. At my request, I shared photos - I’ll show you and save them here for history. Please forgive the quality of the pictures (taken on a phone), it’s just interesting to look at this iconic aircraft for S7 Airlines in real flight, and not just on beautiful cards from official presentations in Toulouse and Moscow. Externally, the A320neo differs from regular A320s in having larger engines (in the case of the S7, it also has a new livery - neo is in the new one, and all 320 S7s are in the old one). The new engines seem to be less noisy, more environmentally friendly and economical. However, during launch and takeoff, it did not seem to us that the engines were noisier than usual (we filmed the takeoff at a distance of about 150 meters); on the contrary, the sound was more reminiscent of powerful wide-body airliners such as the A330. However, they say that inside the plane during flight the noise is still really less than usual.

↓ 3. Safety instructions (safety card). A little for the legs more space than in the previous version.

↓ 4. The cups and napkins have not undergone any changes:) But in the chairs themselves there are sockets with a USB connector (there are no photos with them, unfortunately), you can recharge the gadget.

↓ 5. On the back of the chair at eye level there is a mount for a tablet or phone - if anyone wants to watch a movie on them, it will come in handy. Although it’s more convenient to put the laptop on the table and look at it, what if you don’t want to carry it around with it and decide not to take it on a trip?

↓ 6. A320neo interior and spacious luggage racks.

↓ 7. The portholes are new and clean, excellent view.

↓ 8. All A320neos are equipped with wingtips of an updated design, which reduce the cost of maintaining the aircraft, as well as slightly increase the flight range (+150 km) or maximum load (+500 kg). Of course, it was a great idea to place the S7 logo on the sharklets - soon there will be a lot of such photos on Instagram.

Thank you for your attention.

Today in Toulouse at the Airbus plant the transfer of the A320neo aircraft to S7 airline took place.

The Greens became the first operators of this type of aircraft in Russia.

Several journalists and bloggers were invited by the airline. I managed to get out of MAX for a day.

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Just like 9 years ago, when we first flew to Toulouse to cover the ceremonial transfer of the first A320 to S7, near the Delivery center everything was ready for #lyzing.

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Everyone spoke, including Andreas Kramer, Airbus Vice President for Eastern Europe and Central Asia.

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Chairman of the Board of Directors of S7 Vladislav Filev: “S7 is constantly updating its fleet. We use the most modern developments from the world's leading manufacturers. Airbus aircraft The A320neo is more efficient to operate, with fuel consumption reduced by 15% and a longer range than the previous generation."

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Kramer, Filev, director of customer relations in Russia and the CIS P&W Ron Palmatier and executive director of BOC aviiation Robert Martin.

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The aircraft is equipped with the latest Pratt & Whitney Pure Power PW1199G-JM engines.

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New composite wingtips, called sharklets, also debuted on the A320 family three years ago. They improve the aerodynamic properties of the aircraft.

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The A320neo is the quietest among airliners in this class. The external noise level is 19 dB below ICAO requirements, and the sound footprint on takeoff is 50% smaller than that of the previous generation aircraft.

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Filev promised that gradually the aircraft of the updated family will replace all A320s in the fleet, and passengers will feel new level comfort.

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aslan wonderful as always.

12a

Economy

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By the way, about the new level. Airbus specialists have worked on the seats and now they are all equipped with sockets with a USB connector. Hooray!

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A holder for mobile devices has also appeared.

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A miniature three-stage stand, located at eye level, allows you to securely attach a tablet or smartphone to the back of the chair in front.

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Improved panels above the seats have become more convenient to use, they are equipped with long-lasting LED reading lamps, the light from which is easier to perceive by the eye.

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The aircraft's cabin is the widest among its competitors and has improved sound insulation, the most spacious luggage racks and more space under the seats for hand luggage.

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The interior design was developed by PriestmanGoode.

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alexcheban

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Filev: "Great and very stylish!"

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The car is designed to carry 8 passengers in business class and 158 passengers in economy class.

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The advanced air conditioning system ensures air is fresh and evenly distributed throughout the aircraft cabin, allowing air to be replaced every two minutes.

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Business.

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The updated S7 livery, developed by the British agency Landor, was presented a couple of months ago, I talked about it in May.

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The aircraft was leased from the leasing company BOC Aviiation Limited.

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Flight Director of S7 Airlines Mansur Badrakov.

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By the way, today the plane with this crew will fly to Domodedovo. Catch it!

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S7 airlines (brand of Siberia Airlines) is a member of the global aviation oneworld alliance. Last year, the group's airlines carried more than 13.1 million passengers.

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Currently, S7 has the most modern and one of the youngest fleets aircraft in the Russian air transportation market.

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Alexcheban (popular travel blogger): On July 21, 2017, the first Airbus A320neo for the airline was transferred to the Delivery Center of the Airbus plant in Toulouse in France. This is the first Airbus in the new livery and became.

At first I was a little disappointed by the lack of silhouettes of people in the new livery, but how perfect it looks now! Couldn't stop looking at it :)

Search for cheap tickets on all airlines:

Mansur Badrakov, flight director of S7 Airlines in the cockpit:

The first Airbus A320neo in Russia is already on regular flights S7 Airlines between Moscow and Novosibirsk!

5 reasons to fly on a modern aircraft in Russia

Convenient schedule, comfortable airplane seat with adequate legroom, bright and quiet cabin and… low price ticket! All this can be purchased in a single flexible fare with various options and from one airline. Isn’t this what the passenger values when making his choice?!

An ordinary airplane cabin, where I didn’t expect to see anything special, but I admit that these FIVE reasons leave no choice, on board this plane a meek one and a half hour flight will fly by in an instant, and even in 4-5 hours above the clouds you won’t have time to get tired here. The first Airbus A320neo in Russia, an example of future technologies that allow you to fly more comfortably and cheaper today.

Welcome aboard?!

And the luggage racks have very stylish green lighting to match the color of the livery.

2. Relax during the flight

Only modern technologies make it possible to make things that are familiar to us lighter, more elegant, thinner and lighter. And, therefore, reduce costs.
The cabin of the A320 Family aircraft is 18 cm wider than that of the Boeing 737 and 737 MAX, allowing for wider seats or a wider aisle for quick turnaround of the aircraft at the airport and for more convenient movement of passengers and cabin crew with trolleys during the flight.

The seats in the cabin of the first A320neo S7 are leather, black and very stylish. I like the new brand and livery so much, the color combination is good and practical. Leather interior is worse on long flights, but on the A320/B737 it is quite logical, because it is subject to more wear and tear with frequent maintenance than fabric upholstery.

And also – pockets for magazines and safety instructions here at the top, I’m tall and really don’t like it when precious useful centimeters at knee level are hidden logbooks. After all, I put my things in a special bag on the floor.

Pay attention to the space under the seats. In modern airplanes there are thin partitions, there are no in-flight entertainment system blocks, even the life jacket is “recessed” deep into the seat. Can be placed under the chair hand luggage, the new plane has 20% more space at the bottom for her!

The S7 Airlines A320neo cabin has 156 economy class seats and 8 business class seats.

The business salon has also been updated! Fewer airlines are ordering a configuration with true business class seats, preferring the flexible reconfiguration of the economy class cabin. Everything here is gorgeous! The backrest and footrest recline, and there are USB outlets and power sockets.

The business class cabin is separated from the economy class by a curtain, rather than by a blank wall. Therefore, I advise you to choose an economy seat in the third row, these are “extra-space” seats.

I don’t like the first row, my legs rest against the wall.

A few words about the microclimate - Airbus engineers have developed a special catalytic neutralizer for unpleasant odors, which guarantees fresh air in the cabin. The air in the cabin of the A320neo is completely replaced every 2 minutes!

4. Fly quieter

Do you know how to distinguish new Airbus A320neo from everyone else? The size of the engines is huge! Look at the relationship between human height and engine size in the photographs. The Airbus A320neo is available with Pratt&Whitney or CFM LEAP-X engines. The A320neo of S7 Airlines is equipped with Pratt & Whitney Pure Power PW1100G-JM engines. These engines are quieter, resulting in up to 20% less noise in the cabin!

This is especially noticeable during takeoff; the noise of the A320neo is more subdued and quiet, in contrast to the “growling” sound of the A320ceo during takeoff.

And these are the Airbus A320 sharklets:

Airbus began installing new Sharklets wingtips on the A319, A320 and A321 aircraft in late 2012. They are standard on all A320neo family aircraft and can also be installed on A320 aircraft already in service.

The height of the sharklets is 2.4 meters, they are made of composite materials. Sharklets improve the aerodynamic characteristics of the aircraft and reduce drag by reducing the “slip” from the wing edge.

Sharklets reduce fuel consumption by 4% per long routes, which is equivalent to reducing CO2 emissions by 1000 tons per year per aircraft. Sharklets increase flight range by approximately 185 km or payload by 450 kg.

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