Airbus officially launches A321XLR
MEA orders four - ALC wants 27
- 17 June 2019 -
Airbus has officially launched the A321XLR (Extra Long Range) on the first day of the Paris Air Show 2019. The newest member of the A320 Family will offer a range of 8,700 km (4,700 nm), 15 percent more than the current A321LR.
Deliveries should begin in 2023. Airbus says that with the extra range, airlines can operate single-aisle aircraft on longer and less heavily travelled routes for which widebody aircraft are too big. The A321XLR is especially interesting for new routes like between between India and Europe or between China and Australia. It is also suitable for longer longer transatlantic flights between city pairs deeper in North-America or Europe.
Airbus will design the A321XLR with maximum commonality with the A321LR and the rest of the A320neo Family. Changes include: a new permanent rear centre tank to increase fuel volume; a modified landing gear to support the increased maximum take-off weight (MTOW) of 101 metric tonnes; and an optimised wing trailing-edge flap configuration to preserve the same take-off performance and engine thrust requirements as today’s A321neo has. The new optimised fuel tank holds more fuel than previous additional center tanks while needing less space in the cargo hold. This frees up underfloor volume for additional cargo and baggage.
The first commitment for the A321XLR comes from Air Lease Corporation (ALC) with a letter of intent (LOI) for 27 aircraft. ALC also signed a letters of intent for 23 more standard A321neos and 50 A220s. Middle East Airlines (MEA) converted four of its existing A321neo orders to A321XLRs after Airbus launched the A321XLR. (Images: Airbus)
