Xiamen Airlines flew the maiden voyage of its Airbus A321neo on Saturday. The flight, which departed at 09:00, flew from Xiamen to Beijing and reportedly was full.
To celebrate the inaugural flight, the airline held a themed event where executives were in attendance. Xiamen plans to use the aircraft on several routes.
Celebrating the event
Passengers on the flight were met with celebratory activities in the terminal at Xiamen Gaoqi Airport. Check-in counters in the terminal were themed, and Xiamen Airlines flight attendants reportedly performed a flash dance at the boarding gate.
The carrier also treated passengers to an inaugural flight cake made with a chocolate sculpture. The A321neo was surrounded by flowers at the top of the cake and was placed as if it was flying high into the sky, implying that Xiamen Airlines is heading towards the future with a new attitude, according to the Civil Aviation Resource Network.
The carrier's Chairman and Party Secretary, Zhao Dong, and General Manager and Deputy Party Secretary, Xie Bing, attended the event and witnessed the inaugural flight.
"As early as the flight sales stage, this maiden flight has gained the favor and expectation of passengers and friends, and the flight sales speed and passenger load factor have reached popularity," the executives said.
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Festivities onboard a comfortable cabin
Onboard, passengers enjoyed exquisite meals and refreshing beverages. Flight attendants presented passengers with inaugural flight certificates and commemorative cards inspired by the A321neo. The certificates also included unique collectibles from the airline. Passengers also received souvenirs such as custom toiletry bags and other items with special details.
Xiamen's A321neo aircraft adopts the Airbus "Cabin Flex" configuration, providing both a comfortable and spacious cabin experience. The plane can seat 208 passengers, eight in business class and the remaining 200 in economy class. According to the airline, all seats are ergonomic and comfortable, allowing passengers to rest and relax fully.
The cabin also features large overhead bins, which accommodate more carry-on bags. The new bins have reportedly increased space by 40-60%, allowing passengers to travel without any worry of having to gate-check their bags. The airline said the plane is also equipped with a domestic in-flight entertainment system, which can provide more localized and intelligent audio-visual enjoyment and unprecedented interactive entertainment scenes.
Xiamen Airlines is the first carrier airline in the world to support the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, and the A321neo is an example of its commitment to the environment. The aircraft's CFM's LEAP-1A engines can reduce fuel consumption and carbon dioxide emissions by 20% during operation and reduce noise by 50%, creating a low-carbon, quiet flying experience.
Breaking the Boeing streak
Last year, Xiamen announced a large order for Airbus A320neos and A321neos.
The airline received its first A321neo at the beginning of the year, breaking its streak of being an all-Boeing carrier since 1984. Xiamen's fleet consists of more than 140 Boeing aircraft, predominantly including aircraft in the 737 and 787 families. Although the fleet has not grown much over the past few years, the carrier expects future deliveries of 737 MAX airplanes.
Source: Civil Aviation Resource Network