EgyptAir has signed a contract with Airbus for the purchase of seven A330-200s.
This is the first A330 acquisition by Egyptair which already operates a large Airbus fleet. Deliveries for the aircraft are scheduled to begin in June 2004. The Egyptian flag carrier plans to operate the A330-200 on routes mainly within the Middle East and to Europe. In Egyptair's layout the aircraft will seat around 275 passengers in a comfortable configuration. The A330-200 offers the most spacious cabin of any aircraft in its category. Airbus' unique cross-fleet operational commonality was a decisive factor in the airline's decision in favour of the A330-200, said Egyptair chairman, General Atef Abd El Hamid. "Our crews are already familiar with the benefits of Airbus fly-by-wire technology, which allows a remarkable mobility between our Airbus aircraft types. We have found that this is a source of considerable savings in training and operations through Cross Crew Qualification between our A320/A321 single-aisles and our widebody A340s, which the A330-200 will further reinforce."