With only three A321XLRs with CFM engines delivered so far, Airbus already sees the first aircraft with Pratt & Whitney turbofans on its way to its customer.
In a press conference this week, Christian Scherer, CEO of the commercial aviation division, stated that the delivery of the A321XLR with GTF engines is “imminent”.
The A321-271NY variant has not yet received type certification, which is expected for this quarter, initially by EASA, the European civil aviation authority.
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The A321-253NY, with CFM Leap-1A engines, was approved in July last year and the first delivery took place at the end of October, to Iberia.
Airbus has also delivered two A321XLRs to Ireland’s Aer Lingus. In total, the planemaker has about 500 orders for the variant.
Three jets close to delivery
According to Flight Global, Wizz Air will be the first carrier to receive the A321XLR with PW1133GR-JM engines, the GTF version specifically for the variant.
The low-cost carrier has 47 orders for the type and one aircraft, MSN 11631, is already nearing completion at Airbus’ Hamburg plant.
Other customers expected to receive the A321XLR include JetBlue and Qantas. Neither of them has yet flown in tests, as far as is known.
The GTF engine has been plagued by persistent problems since it entered service on aircraft such as the A320neo family, the A220 and the Embraer E2.
Pratt & Whitney has already corrected these defects, but the recall process has been slow due to a lack of workshops capable of making the necessary modifications.
As a result, many aircraft are parked, causing losses to their operators.
