After several delays, Airbus delivered the world’s first A321XLR to Spain’s Iberia on Wednesday.
According to data from FlightRadar24, the aircraft, registered EC-OIL, will take off from Hamburg to Madrid at around 4:00 p.m. on Wednesday, possibly after a brief handover ceremony.
With a record range of 4,700 nm (8,700 km), the A321XLR is the narrow-body jet with the longest range for a twin-engine. In the past, only quad jets such as the Boeing 707 or the McDonnell Douglas DC-8 could fly that far.
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“We are very proud to be the launch airline for this new Airbus aircraft. The A321XLR will allow us to reach new destinations, operating transoceanic routes and doing so in a more efficient way,” said Marco Sansavini, CEO & Chairman at Iberia.
Despite the delay in the program, which was supposed to deliver the first aircraft in 2023, Iberia plans to put its first A321XLR into service as early as next week.
Initially, the 182-seat aircraft will fly from Madrid to Paris (Charles de Gaulle) between November 5 and 13. Only then will the A321XLR make its debut on the route to Boston, United States, on November 14.
More than 500 orders
The A321XLR was launched in June 2019 after the successful A321LR, a long-haul variant.
Airbus took advantage of a space in the rear cargo area of the fuselage to install a new fuel tank that allowed for increased range.
However, the variant required other changes such as reinforced landing gear, changes to the control surfaces and a larger fairing on the belly of the aircraft, to protect the extra tank in the event of a runway touch-down.
Airbus is not disclosing exactly how many A321XLRs it has ordered, but has previously said it has more than 500 orders for the type.
So far, only the variant with CFM Leap-1 engines has been certified. The A321XLR with the troubled Pratt & Whitney GTF turbofan is expected to be approved in early 2025.
