US Airways Expands Fleet to Offer More International Connections

Phoenix, Arizona based US Airways recently announced in a press release that they have signed an agreement to purchase an additional five Airbus aircraft. The purchase will allow for the airline to expand international service from the United States. The purchase is for five of the Airbus A330-200 wide body aircraft. This is in addition to a purchase agreement for 10 more of the A330-200 aircraft, as well as 9 A330-300 aircraft that US Airways currently operates.

Doug Parker, Chairman and CEO of US Airways said the following at a press conference. "The A330-200 with its superior range relative to our existing fleet will allow US Airways to continue international expansion to new destinations across the globe from the Pacific to the Atlantic. We intend to use the A330s to expand our existing gateways as well as provide the potential to eventually add intercontinental service from our west coast hubs."

Airbus Chief Operating Officer John Leahy also spoke highly upon the newest purchase by loyal Airbus customer US Airways. "We are delighted that US Airways, our largest world-wide operator, continues to choose Airbus aircraft for its fleet. This additional order reaffirms the A330 as a superb performer for US Airways' expanding international route network," said Leahy.

About US Airways: US Airways is the sixth largest airline in the United States, and has attempted to rebrand itself as the largest low-cost carrier in the United States. The current airline is operated out of Phoenix, Arizona, between the former US Airways and America West Airways. The airline operates out of hubs in Phoenix, Arizona, Charlotte, North Carolina, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and Las Vegas, Nevada. Today, the airline operates over 350 aircraft to nearly 250 destinations across the United States and world.

About the ordered aircraft: The Airbus A330-200 is the currently the smallest member of the Airbus wide body family of aircraft. The A330-200 is able to carry 253 passengers in a three class configurations, and as many as 293 in a two class configuration. The aircraft is designed to allow for flights of nearly 7,000 nautical miles to be flown with a full aircraft, allowing US Airways to operate to many large cities in Europe, Africa and Asia from any of its hubs in the United States. Today, US Airways operates the A330-300, which offers some commonality between the aircraft. While they are different aircraft, pilots will be able to be certified on only the A330, allowing pilots to operate either type, based upon the needs of the airline at time of departure, allowing for fewer delays in the airline system.