Airbus’s long-range A321XLR passenger jet makes maiden flight
On June 15, with test pilots Thierry Diez and Gabriel Diaz de Villegas Giron at the controls for a four-hour shakedown systems test, Airbus’ first A321XLR (Xtra Long Range) airliner successfully completed its maiden flight over Hamburg-Finkenwerder Airport.
Wide-body, twin-aisle planes that can transport hundreds of passengers between significant hub airports have dominated long-distance air routes since the introduction of the Jumbo Jets in the 1970s. Nowadays, there is an increasing demand for airliners that have the range of larger jets but a lower capacity due to a combination of developing technology, a changing global market, and adjustments to a post-pandemic world.
The A321XLR, the newest member of the A320 series of narrow-body single-aisle aircraft, is based on the A321neo and is expected to begin commercial service in early 2024. The A321XLR has many of the same features as its predecessor, but a newly created rear-center tank and fuel system, as well as a redesigned center wing box to withstand the added weight.
The end result is an aircraft with a range of 4,700 nm and a capacity of 180–220 people on trips lasting up to 11 hours ( 5,400 miles, 8,700 km). Compared to earlier generations of aircraft, it has a 30 percent greater fuel efficiency per seat and produces less noise and NOx emissions.
Approximately 500 orders have already been placed for the A321XLR, and Boeing, Airbus’ main rival, has not said that it intends to produce its own competing single-aisle XLR.
The A320 Family and its customers globally have reached a significant milestone, according to Philippe Mhun, Airbus SVP Programmes and Services. “Thanks to the A321XLR’s distinctive Airspace interior, airlines will be able to provide long-haul comfort on a single aisle aircraft once it enters service. New routes will be made possible by the A321XLR’s unmatched economic and environmental performance.
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