Airbus has formally launched a new lower-weight and thrust version of the A330-300. The aircraft, known unofficially as the A330 Regional, is according to the company "optimised for use on domestic and regional routes in high growth markets and concentrated traffic flows". The new variant was launched at Aviation Expo/China 2013 in Beijing, September 25 to 28, after the company previously indicated that it would launch the new version towards the end of the year (see 1,000 Up, October, p30). Compared to the standard A330-300, the latest variant will be configured to seat between 356 and 400 passengers on 3,000nm (5,556km) sectors. Airbus claims the reduced fuel consumption per seat and maintenance costs will result in 15% lower operating costs compared to the standard long-range A330-300.
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