Airbus Delivers First A330 Jet to TAP Air Portugal

LISBON, Portugal—Airbus S.E. delivered the first of its A330neo widebody aircraft to TAP Air Portugal here last week. The A330-900 jet is the first of 20 to be supplied to the carrier in the coming year. The second variant, the A330-800 recently completed its first flight and will make its commercial debut with Kuwait Air in 2020.

The A330neo, or new engine option, is an updated and more fuel-efficient version of the OEM’s widebody series. Besides Rolls-Royce Trent 7000 engines, the jets have a new higher span wing design with Sharklet tips for optimized aerodynamic performance.

The new jet’s profile is said to bring a significant (25 percent) reduction in fuel consumption compared to the previous-generation of a competing widebody design. The design also includes composite nacelles, a fully faired titanium pylon, and zero-splice air-inlet technology that enhance the aircraft aerodynamics and acoustics.

TAP Air Portugal operates a fleet of 72 Airbus aircraft. The A330-900 jets are leased from Avolon, and will be deployed on routes from Portugal to the Americas and Africa.

The ASSEMBLY Show South

ASSEMBLY is thrilled to return to the Music City Center in Nashville, TN for The ASSEMBLY Show SOUTH on May 1-2, 2024. This is a booming time for manufacturing and the U.S. South is right in the heart of the action. According to ASSEMBLY’s most recent annual capital spending survey, the South is projected to account for 31 percent of total spending this year, marking the fifth straight year this region has accounted for at least 30 percent of capital spending in the U.S.

In this session, manufacturers will learn how Quality function deployment (QFD) can transform consumers’ qualitative demands into quantitative parameters that will shape the design of their product and, ultimately, their manufacturing process.

Sponsored by: