Airbus warns customers they’ll face longer waits for newest A321

Airbus is advising customers they’ll face longer waits for its newest jetliner, the long-range A321XLR, according to people familiar with the matter, adding to pressure on carriers trying to source planes to meet surging demand for travel as Covid fades. The delays vary by airline, with deliveries typically sliding by a matter of months, the people said, asking not to be identified because the details are private. Airbus is contending with production snarls in its factories and regulatory scrutiny of a new center fuel tank that gives the narrow-body jet the range to cruise from London to Miami, or Tokyo to Sydney. Airbus had originally targeted bringing the XLR to market by 2023 but pushed back that timing to mid-2024 as European and US regulators probed a potential fire hazard posed by the novel feature. The jet will hold an additional fuel tank that will be fused into its structure behind the wheel bays and directly under passengers’ feet. Privately, buyers are fretting the regulatory review could push back the plane’s market entry to as late as the end of 2024 or early 2025, some of the people said.<br/>