Bird & Bird advises Transavia France on first delivery of Airbus A320 neo, marking transition from Boeing

Delivery of the first ever Airbus aircraft to the Transavia France fleet marks the beginning of a new era for the airline – on 29 December 2023, Transavia France took delivery of its new Airbus A320 neo from the manufacturer in Toulouse. Based in Paris-Orly, the aircraft made its first commercial flight to Porto on 15 January 2024, Transavia France’s inaugural destination when the airline started operations in 2007.

This delivery is part of the order placed by Air France-KLM Group in 2021 for 100 Airbus A320neo family aircraft, with purchase rights for further 60 aircraft to be allocated between the Air France-KLM group airlines, Transavia France, Transavia Netherlands and KLM, and marks a seismic shift towards the European airframer.

Transavia France's fleet renewal strategy will include the delivery of 13 A320neo aircraft in 2024, to progressively replace all of the 70 Boeing 737-800s operated by the airline by 2030.

Fleet renewal, along with the use of sustainable aviation fuel (SAF), is one of the key milestones of Air France-KLM Group's decarbonisation path, aiming for a 30% cut in CO2 emissions per passenger/km by 2030 compared to 2019. The A320neo aircraft offers best-in-class performance, including a 50% reduction in noise footprint, as well as a 15% reduction in fuel consumption and CO2 emissions.

Bird & Bird assisted Transavia France in this transaction with a team led by Paris partner Laurence Hanley, supported by Diane de Bustamante, Maria Miller, Boubeker Moussaoui and Gaëlle Sow.

“This transformation of the fleet did not happen overnight, and it is wonderful to see so many years of diligent work and dedication within Transavia bear fruit, and to take flight”, says Laurence Hanley.