National carrier South African Airways (SAA) earlier this week took delivery of a further two new A320 aircraft, as part of its fleet renewal programme.

The fleet replacement programme for SAA’s narrow-bodied fleet included the acquisition of twenty A320 aircraft, which would replace all the Boeing 737 and 800 aircraft and increase the fleet to support SAA route expansion plans into Africa.

SAA said another A320 aircraft was expected to arrive in June, followed by three more during the second half of the year.

In keeping with SAA’s initiatives towards weight reduction, products and material on the new A320’s were made of lightweight materials.

“We are excited about the latest new arrivals in our fleet, which brings our customers the added pleasure of flying on brand new aircraft. Besides the improved on-board offering, customers can enjoy their flying experience knowing that they are travelling with a more fuel-efficient aircraft and, thus, part of the airline’s commitment to being an environmentally responsible airline,” SAA commercial GM Kendy Phohleli said.

The A320 aircraft were configured with 24 business class and 114 economy class seats.

He added that SAA had put a lot of work into making the business-class section on these aircraft comfortable.

Meanwhile, besides being more fuel efficient, which led to less carbon emissions, the A320 also had a low noise footprint.