The announcement was made in Hamburg, Germany, with the Portuguese airline, often criticised on online forums and travel blogs for its ageing fleet, now set to take to the skies with the new aircraft towards the end of next year.
Following the announcement, TAP took to social media to provide more details on the deal.
“This plane represents the future of aviation”, the airline announced on its Facebook page, adding that the new aircraft will have “new hosting spaces, the latest technology LED lighting system with an infinite number of colour combinations, larger overhead storage bins, more modern lavatories and next generation in-flight entertainment systems and connectivity.”
Airbus confirmed in a statement that TAP had signed an agreement to upgrade the cabins of its A330s, A319s, A320s and A321s.
Airbus explained that the engineering and certification of this extensive cabin retrofit programme will be accomplished by Airbus Upgrade Services for seven A330ceo and 41 A320ceo Family aircraft.
The retrofit on A330s will include new business class seats with new IFE, while the retrofit on the A320 Family fleet will include new seats. Both aircraft types will sport the airline’s new interior styling.
In total, TAP has ordered 14 of the Rolls-Royce Trent 7000-powered A330-900neo twinjets and comes after it went back on its intention to purchase the new A350 following the airline’s privatisation last November.
Trey Urbahn, Chief Commercial Officer at TAP Portugal said: “These significant cabin upgrade programmes for our A320ceo and A330ceo Family fleets reinforce our commitment to invest in enhancing the aircraft and the product we offer to our passengers.”
He continued to explain that the airline is confident that Airbus will deliver the right upgrade solutions with the highest quality to ensure that these aircraft continue to be the most suitable for TAP’s business as well as pleasing to fly in.
The fleet cabin renewal programme is planned to start in the 3rd quarter of 2016 for the A320 Family fleet and in the 1st quarter 2017 for the A330ceo fleet. All the cabin modifications will be completed by the end of 2017, with TAP carrying out the programme in its Maintenance & Engineering facilities.
The relationship between Airbus and Portugal dates back to 1987 when TAP, then Air Portugal, ordered three Airbus A310s. Today TAP is an all Airbus fleet customer and the largest in Portugal with 61 aircraft currently in service, including 43 from the A320 family and 18 of the wide-body family, with two additional A330s to enter service this June to support the expansion of the company’s long- haul operations, with the airline now set to touch down in Boston and JFK in the United States, adding to its current North American catalogue of Miami and Newark in New Jersey.