Airbus upgrades bestselling A321 jet to unlock long-haul routes

Over the past 30 years, Airbus SE has continuously eked out more range from its A321 aircraft, making the model a bestseller as customers pair the economic benefits of a narrowbody airliner with the reach and capacity approaching a widebody jet. Now Airbus is approaching certification of its latest variant — the A321XLR — which may get sign-off from regulators as soon as this month and will effectively double the range from the original model that entered service at the start of 1994. Airbus plans to showcase the plane, for which it has more than 550 orders, at the Farnborough Air Show starting next week. The XLR’s entry into service, delayed by a year due to the pandemic and concerns about a fire risk from an extra fuel tank, pushes its range to 4,700 nautical miles, or 11 hours of flight. It’s a radius that promises to take single-aisle planes to destinations that were previously the domain of fuel-guzzling twin-aisle planes, changing the operating calculus for carriers that ordered the plane. Icelandair has ordered 13 XLRs to replace its aging fleet of the out-of-production Boeing Co. 757, which has a shorter maximum range of about 3,900 nautical miles. The XLRs, which burn 30% less fuel than its predecessors, will let the carrier add destinations in California, Texas, Dubai and across Europe, its CEO said. “In many cases we are competing with a widebody aircraft, which are not as fuel efficient and not that environmentally friendly,” said Bogi Nils Bogason. “So that is definitely an advantage and we see opportunities for us in that respect.” Other airlines will also leverage the XLR to expand their networks. Wizz Air Holdings Plc, with 47 XLRs on order, will open up new routes in the Middle East and Asia. The Hungarian low-cost carrier is negotiating with Indian authorities about flights to India using the aircraft, which has capacity for as many as 244 passengers.<br/>