The first Airbus Corporate Jets ACJ320neo has entered final assembly in Hamburg, Germany, the company announced yesterday. It is due to be delivered to Acropolis Aviation of the UK in the fourth quarter, along with another ACJ320neo for Comlux.

More than 300 A320neo family aircraft are in service with airlines, but deliveries of corporate jet versions are just beginning. The derivative aircraft features new-generation engines and Sharklets, reducing fuel burns by about 15 percent and increasing range. As a result, the ACJ320neo can fly 25 passengers 6,000 nm/11,100 km, enabling routes such as London to Beijing or Cape Town and Moscow to Los Angeles, while the ACJ319neo can fly eight passengers 6,700 nm/12,500 km.

ACJ320neo family variants differ from their airliner counterparts by including a lower cabin altitude, built-in airstairs and a cargo hold that is reinforced to carry additional center fuel tanks

Airbus said it has nine firm orders for the ACJ320neo family—three ACJ319neos and six ACJ320neos.