British low-cost leisure carrier Jet2 has reached a key milestone in the ongoing development of its fleet, with its first Airbus A321neo having now entered service. The airline celebrated this yesterday with a ceremony on the ground in Manchester, with its lucky passengers receiving VIP treatment and vouchers for future trips.
A long time coming
The introduction of Jet2's first Airbus A321neo has been a highly-anticipated event for many in the UK's commercial aviation scene. The Yorkshire-based carrier made its first order for the type back in August 2021, marking the first time it had ever purchased brand-new Airbus jets. It has since added to this multiple times.
Given its prominence as a leisure carrier, it seems rather apt that the first A321neo to join Jet2 bears the registration G-SUNB. Data from ch-aviation.com shows that it first flew on March 15th this year, with its delivery ceremony occurring two weeks later. According to FlightRadar24.com, it made its first foray over to the UK on April 1st, flying from Hamburg Finkenwerder (XFW) to East Midlands Airport (EMA).
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Four days after its arrival at East Midlands, G-SUNB flew up to Manchester Airport (MAN), which has now become its base. Saturday, May 6th then saw the jet operate a pair of test flights, taking it on a round trip from Manchester to Leeds Bradford Airport (LBA) and back, and, after that, it was time for it to enter service.
First flights in the books
Jet2's first passenger-carrying flights using G-SUNB took place on Sunday, May 7th, when the brand-new aircraft flew from its Manchester base to Spain's Málaga–Costa del Sol Airport (AGP) and back. These flights ran punctually, with each landing within a few minutes of its scheduled arrival time. Jet2 CEO Steve Heapy stated:
"The first of the brand-new Airbus A321 neo aircraft to come into operation this week is a real milestone in the history of Jet2.com and Jet2holidays. As more of these new aircraft come into our fleet, they will play a huge role in supporting our continued growth, whilst providing more choice, comfort, and quality than ever before for our customers."
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Yesterday saw G-SUNB repeat this round trip, but, this time, with some extra surprises. To celebrate the introduction of the Airbus A321neo, Jet2 rolled out the red carpet for the aircraft's passengers in Manchester, providing them with refreshments and goodie bags. They also received £100 ($125.76) booking vouchers.
Modernizing the fleet
Jet2 has configured its A321neo in an all-economy layout that seats 232 passengers. This reduces not just the aircraft's costs per seat, but also its emissions. The carrier has been keen to highlight the A321neo's sustainability credentials, noting that the type's per-seat emissions are some 20% lower than older jets.
With total firm orders for 98 A320neo and A321neo jets, and the potential for this figure to rise as high as 146, it is clear that Airbus' next-generation narrowbodies will eventually for the backbone of Jet2's fleet for many years to come.
What do you make of the introduction of Jet2's first Airbus A321neo? Have you been onboard any of its early flights? Let us know your thoughts and experiences in the comments!
Sources: ch-aviation.com, FlightRadar24.com, Jet2