Airbus delivered the first two A330-800s to launch customer Kuwait Airways on Thursday. The airline has a total of eight A330s on order.
The event marks Airbus’ first A330-800 delivery. The new generation widebody aircraft is the latest addition to Airbus’ product line. The aircraft succeeds the A330-200 alongside the larger A330-900 to form the new, more economical A330neo series. The A330neos combine a relatively low passenger capacity with an enormous flight range of 15,000 kilometers, thus making almost all destinations in the world accessible by non-stop flights.
The A330-800 is not very popular yet: the aircraft has only been ordered by Kuwait Airways (8), Uganda Airlines (2), and anonymous customers (4), one of which is probably going to Air Greenland. The -900 is a lot more popular. It can fly less far but offers lower costs per passenger.
With Kuwait Airways, the A330-800 has room for 235 passengers, 32 of which will be able to enjoy a luxury Business Class cabin with seats that can become completely flat. The other 203 seats are in Economy Class in a 2-4-2 configuration.