Airbus A319 integrated into fleet in new cabin design Aircraft names symbolise commitment to Central and Eastern Europe. In an effort to standardise its short- and medium-haul fleet further, the Austrian Airlines Group has ordered a total of seven Airbus A319 aircraft. The first two aircraft were recently integrated into the Austrian fleet, and will be introduced to the public on 17 March 2004 within a ceremony to be held at the Austrian Technical base. Chief Executive Officer Vagn Soerensen said the following about the new jet, and the company’s overriding concept of family and size: “The Airbus A319 is the perfect complement to our existing Airbus family for short- and medium-haul routes. With the Airbus A321, we cover the highest-volume flights. Equipped with up to 186 seats, this largest version will take over on our “racetracks” or high volume routes. With up to 150 seats, meanwhile, the Airbus A320 represents the standard size currently used in the European business and holiday sector. Its sister model, the A319, which is slightly smaller with up to 126 seats, primarily complements our routes into Central and Eastern Europe. In acknowledgement of our future in this region, we have named these aircraft - in English, the language of international aviation - after our important destinations in this region. The three Airbus A319 OE-LDA “Sofia”, OE-LDB “Bucharest” and (from the summer onwards) OE-LDC “Kiev” will strengthen our two-way West-East connections via our Vienna hub.”
A fresh new mood in the cabin
The A319 represents a further step towards completing the brand repositioning of the Austrian Airlines Group, which will become visible in a completely redesigned cabin concept. A fresh colour concept and carefully selected accessories will be reflected in interior fittings including the seat cushions, curtains, pillows, blankets and headrests. This new freshness in Economy Class, with its bright colour accents of red, white and yellow, will convey a pleasant, relaxed feeling when travelling. More discreet nuances of colour in Business Class will lend those areas a refined, sublime aesthetic.ÊÊ
The Airbus fleet at Austrian
A total of seven Airbus A319 were ordered in autumn 2002; three of these will be in use from 2004 onwards, three more jets will begin operation in 2005 and the seventh Airbus will be delivered in the first quarter of 2006. The Austrian Airlines Group will be using 25 Airbus models over the 2004 summer schedule: four each of the types Airbus A340 and Airbus A330 on long-haul routes, with the short- and medium-haul fleet composed of six A321, eight A320 and three A319 aircraft. The latter class will use a flexible new cabin configuration for Business and Economy Class.
Chief Operations Officer Dr. Walter Bock pointed out the considerable operational and technical advantages of the Airbus family: “The Airbus jets are distinguished by their use of the latest technology and high level of commonality, which makes them extremely cost-efficient in both technical and operational terms. Because an unusually high proportion of components and spare parts used by the various types of Airbus are identical, we can train a single pilot corps to fly all the models and still minimise our training costs.”
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