Marisa Garcia Following the announcement at the Aircraft Interiors Expo (AIX) in Hamburg that the airline would be the launch customer for Airbus A330neo aircraft and the Airspace by Airbus Cabin, TAP Portugal made further commitment to the manufacturer which will give its customers an improved Airbus flying experience.
TAP Portugal signed an agreement with Airbus to upgrade the cabins of its A330s, A319s, A320s and A321s aircraft.
The logistics of engineering and certification for this extensive cabin retrofit programme will be carried out by Airbus Upgrade Services.
The contract includes seven A330ceo and 41 A320ceo Family aircraft. On the A330s, TAP will include new Business class seats with a new In-Flight Entertainment (IFE) System.
The A320 Family fleet will be retrofitted with new seats.
All aircraft undergoing retrofit will be updated with the airline’s new interior styling.
Trey Urbahn, Chief Commercial Officer at TAP Portugal said:
“These significant cabin upgrade programmes for our A320ceo and A330ceo Family fleets reinforce our commitment to invest in enhancing the aircraft and the product we offer to our passengers.”
He adds: “We are confident that Airbus will deliver the right upgrade solutions with the highest quality to ensure that these aircraft continue to be the most suitable for our business as well as pleasing to fly in.”
Airbus Head of Customer Services, Didier Lux, said, “Not only does this underscore that A330ceo and A320ceo Family aircraft worldwide will continue to be profitable and efficient in the long term, but it also shows that we are the ideal partner to work with airlines to equip their Airbus fleets with the latest innovations.”
The fleet cabin renewal program is scheduled to start in the 3rd quarter of 2016 for the A320 Family fleet and in the 1st quarter 2017 for the A330ceo fleet, with dates of completion by the end of 2017.
TAP will carry out the programme in its Maintenance & Engineering facilities and Airbus will supply the necessary Service Bulletins (SBs) to certify the upgrades, perform the engineering design, define and provide the methodology for upgrade installation, and oversee the integration of the retrofit components.
[…] During this year’s Aircraft Interiors Expo in Hamburg, TAP Portugal was announced as the launch customer for the new A330neo featuring Airspace by Airbus cabins. […]