On Friday, September 13, Corporate Jet Investor reported that the National Basketball Association (NBA) plans to invest in several Airbus business jets. These aircraft are to be used for team and executive transport between various games. Specifically, the NBA will invest in 13 Airbus
A321neos, although converted into executive transports.
Executive team transport
According to Corporate Jet Investor, the NBA is making plans to lease 13 fully-customized Airbus A321neo
business jets. These will be used to transport many of the NBA’s teams during their extensive schedule, which lasts 82 games.
Photo: Delta Air Lines
Additionally, SMBC Aviation Capital is set to be the expected aircraft lessor. SMBC Aviation Capital, which is based in Ireland, is one of the largest aircraft lessors in the world. According to ch-aviation, the Irish aircraft lessor owns over 525 aircraft, ranging from the Boeing 787 to several Airbus A320 and Boeing 737 variants. The company also manages 715 total aircraft for airlines and charter companies around the world.
The operator of these aircraft is most likely to be Delta Air Lines. Historically, Delta Air Lines has operated charter flights for many NBA teams. Additionally, Delta Air Lines recently signed a multiyear deal with the Womens National Basketball Association (WNBA), the sister league of the NBA, to become the official airline partner of the league. This will reinforce Delta’s commitment to supporting basketball in the United States and North America.
These Airbus Corporate Jets (ACJ) will be heavily customized to suit the needs of each NBA team. To fit each of the newly acquired aircraft, the NBA will contract Comlux, an aircraft operation and management service company that is based in Zurich, Switzerland. The company also operates Comlux Completion in Indianapolis, Indiana. This business segment is responsible for installing the interiors of business jets, and, more specifically, Airbus Corporate Jets (ACJ). Comlux has an extensive history of converting interiors of large business jets, like Boeing Business Jets and ACJs, dating back to 2009. The company also fitted the installation of the first ACJ TwoTwenty, one of Airbus’s newest corporate jets.
According to Corporate Jet Investor, the driving factor for leasing these aircraft is player and staff welfare. Although NBA rosters typically only include 15 players, teams typically have a large training staff and coaching staff that accompanies the team.
About the Airbus A321neo
The A321neo is one of Airbus’s most popular narrowbody offerings. It was originally developed in the early 2010s as a replacement for the A321ceo. Officially, it is a stretched variant of the Airbus A321, which can fit up to 244 total passengers in a high-density configuration. The aircraft also utilizes new powerful engines, either the CFM International LEAP-1 or the Pratt & Whitney PW110G engines, which are stronger and more fuel efficient than previous variants.
These powerful engines help the aircraft achieve the following performance specifications:
|
Length |
146 feet |
|---|---|
|
Height |
38.6 feet |
|
Wingspan |
117 feet five inches |
|
Maximum takeoff weight (MTOW) |
206,100 pounds |
|
Range |
3,500 nautical miles (4,030 miles) |
|
Maximum speed |
473 knots (544 miles per hour) |
|
Service ceiling |
39,800 feet |