Airline easyJet has said new technology will be key to delivering a net zero aviation future as it announced 20 of its fleet now have NEO-technology.

The airline has taken taken delivery of its 67th A320neo Family aircraft which use around 15% less fuel than their equivalent predecessors, and have up to 50% noise reduction at take-off, landing and whilst taxiing.

EasyJet has an orderbook for a further 164 A320neo Family aircraft, in addition to the 67 already delivered. It is the world’s largest operator of Airbus’ single-aisle aircraft with over 300 planes currently in service, including the A319, A320ceo, A320neo and A321neo. The airline serves over 130 European airports in some 31 countries operating over 1,000 routes. The fleet is expected to pass 25% new-technology aircraft, by October.

It added as the airline continues its fleet renewal programme, an integral part of its roadmap to net zero, older Airbus A320ceo Family aircraft will be phased out over time and replaced by new-technology aircraft.

David Morgan, chief operating officer at easyJet commented: “The adoption of more efficient technology is the single biggest contributor to reducing emissions in the short term and the roll-out of new neo aircraft is a key part of this.

“We are also continuously looking at our operation each and every day to drive efficiencies which has been demonstrated with the addition of Descent Profile Optimisation (DPO) and Continuous Descent Approach (CDA) – a state of software from Airbus that is being retrofitted on all our aircraft. The two technologies will respectively enable fuel-saving enhancement to the aircraft’s on-board Flight Management System (FMS) and reduce noise impact on the ground.”

Wouter Van Wersch, Airbus president Europe Region & Sales, added: “As we continue to fulfil easyJet’s orders, each A320neo delivery future-proofs the airline’s growth as traffic rebounds. Airbus is delighted that the A320neo family aircraft, together with our strong service offering, is laying the foundation of easyJet’s decarbonisation journey which is already well underway.”