LISBON: TAP Portugal has been named as the Airbus A330neo launch operator and will therefore be the also be the first to fly the new “Airspace” cabin. The announcement was made, as anticipated, at the Aircraft Interiors Expo (AIX) in Hamburg, where Airbus is displaying its first Airspace cabin mock-up for the first time. Airspace is the standard baseline cabin on the A330neo, so it is not possible to receive an A330neo without the Airspace cabin.
“We have two things to announce. We will be the first airline to fly the new A330 neo and, secondly, we are going to be flying with the new Airspace cabin. We see this as next step in the development of TAP Portugal,” TAP Portugal CCO Trey Urbahn said, speaking at AIX on April 6.
Newly privatized TAP has 53 aircraft Airbus aircraft on order, including A330-900neos, long-range A321neos and standard range A320neo family aircraft. TAP is planning to upgrade the interiors of its existing fleet to maintain a consistent product.
The Portuguese carrier will take delivery of its first A330neo before the end of 2017. A further four aircraft will join the fleet in 2018. “By the end of 2018, we will have five of these babies flying to Brazil and new markets in North America,” Urbahn said.
TAP is currently working on its exact cabin specifications for the A330neo, which will be configured in a three-class layout, including an economy plus cabin and lie-flat beds in business class. Recaro will supply the seats, with TAP becoming the Airbus launch customer for Recaro’s CL6710 business-class seat.
“What we like about this airplane and particularly Airspace is the ability to project our brand onto this aircraft,” Urbahn said. He said it was “too soon” to reveal its connectivity plan for the aircraft. Airbus first unveiled the Airspace concept in London on March 23. It allows for up to 10 additional seats, without compromising comfort, and will be available from the A330neo’s entry into service in 2017.
Airspace includes 95% of the cabin design elements first used on the A350, although it will officially be launched on the A330neo. The final 5% of the concept, introduced directly on the A330neo, will then be reintegrated into the A350 and, ultimately, all Airbus’ commercial aircraft products. The cabin will also be available for retrofit.
“Yesterday alone, we had more than 30 airline visits [to the Airspace mock-up] it is getting a lot of interest from customers,” Airbus SVP marketing Francois Caudron said.
