New Airbus Model on Its Way to Iran

Airbus has recently introduced its latest model, the Airbus A330neo. Airbus has announced that Iran Air is one of the first and largest buyers of this model. The company introduced the Airbus A330neo Series 900 while stating that this aircraft is a new competitor to the Boeing 787 and can challenge this model globally. The Dreamliner, or Boeing 787, has been one of the winning cards for this American company in the aviation markets in recent years, known for its high maneuverability, low consumption, and low pollution. Airbus claims that the new generation of the A330 family can consume 14% less fuel compared to the previous generation, thanks to new jet engines developed by Rolls-Royce. Airbus has cited changes made to the winglets at the end of the main wing and improved wing stretch as factors that enhance the A330neo's performance in flight. Airbus also stated that the noise produced by the new engines is half that of the previous generation. The A330neo Series 900 has a capacity of approximately 287 passengers, which is more than 10 passengers over the previous model. This 63-meter aircraft has a maximum speed of 0.86 Mach and a flight range of 13,000 kilometers. It uses engines from Rolls-Royce, specifically the Trent 7000, which is an advanced version of the Trent 1000. The Trent 1000 is one of the engines used in the Boeing 787, and now the A330neo has taken a step ahead of its American competitor by utilizing this engine. This engine is about 20% stronger than the General Electric model and about 10% weaker than the Pratt & Whitney model. However, in terms of maintenance, sourcing parts and services from Rolls-Royce may be better for Iran due to its British origin compared to American companies. Iran Air has so far received two units of the A330 model, with the A330neo being an upgraded version of this model. When considering price alongside factors such as range, number of seats, and familiarity of Iranian airlines with Airbus, the A330 is the best option for purchase in the wide-body aircraft class in Iran. The A330 Series 200 can carry 250 passengers and the Series 300 can carry 300 passengers in two flight classes. The price of this aircraft ranges from $230 to $260 million; this model has a flight range of 11,000 kilometers and can cover many of Iran Air's two-way flights. Iran's orders mainly include the neo model. However, due to the full production lines at Airbus, Iran Air is utilizing canceled orders from Airbus to meet its needs as quickly as possible. Iran has placed a total order for 100 Airbus aircraft, of which 38 are the A330 model in various series. 10 of these aircraft are from Series 200 and 28 from Series 900 neo. The production of the A330 began in 1987, and it first flew on November 2, 1992. The design and construction of this aircraft coincided with the Airbus A340. Deliveries of this model began in mid-2018, and Iran Air will receive its first A330neo Series 900 aircraft in 2019. Airbus has announced that 210 units of this model have been ordered so far. Iran Air has made the second-largest order for this model after AirAsia. According to Airbus, AirAsia ordered 66, Iran Air 28, and Delta Airlines in the USA 25 units of the A330neo Series 900.