Grupo Abra Expands Fleet with Seven A330neo Aircraft and Exercises Option for 50 More

Grupo Abra, the Latin American aviation holding company, announced an expansion of its fleet plan, including commitments for wide-body aircraft and the conversion of narrow-body options. The strategy focuses on securing necessary capacity for projected business plan execution and supporting the group’s network growth across the Americas and Europe.

The group has secured agreements for up to seven Airbus A330neo aircraft. These aircraft are intended to support the international expansion strategy for the group’s member airlines, facilitating medium and long-haul operations. The A330neo features a 14% reduction in fuel consumption per seat compared to the A330ceo model and generates an approximate 60% reduction in airport noise pollution, according to manufacturer specifications. This order supplements a previous 2024 order with Airbus (EPA: AIR, OTC: EADSY) for five A350-900 aircraft, which are scheduled for integration into the fleet in the coming years.

In the narrow-body segment, Grupo Abra exercised 50 options for the Airbus A320neo. This action increases the total commitment for the model to 138 units scheduled for delivery through 2032. The narrow-body order book consists of the 138 A320neo aircraft combined with 96 Boeing 737 Max aircraft, which are scheduled for delivery through 2030. The total commitment comprises 234 narrow-body aircraft. Boeing (NYSE: BA) is publicly traded on the New York Stock Exchange.

The initial A320neo aircraft from the new commitments, which will feature the Airbus Airspace cabin, is scheduled for delivery to Avianca by the end of 2025. This model will incorporate XL stowage compartments, which offer up to 60% more space than current configurations, and dynamic LED lighting. Additionally, these aircraft are specified to be equipped with three rows of premium seats, arranged in a two-by-side format, which was developed by Recaro specifically for the airline.

Adrian Neuhauser, CEO of Grupo Abra, commented that the announcement confirms the group’s investment alignment with its objective to increase air travel accessibility and to position itself as a competitive air transport group in Latin America. He stated that the incremental A320neo order addresses both replacement and growth requirements for the current narrow-body fleet.

Benoît de Saint-Exupéry, executive vice president of sales at Airbus Commercial Aircraft, noted that the selection of the A350, A330neo, and A320neo models reinforced the strategic relationship with Grupo Abra. He highlighted the A350’s performance in long-haul operations and characterized the A330neo as a new-generation complement to the Group’s existing A330 operations.

Headline Photo: Adrian Neuhauser. Avianca CEO. Photo credit: ALN/YouTube.