It looks like we’re less than four months away from the first commercial flight of the new Airbus A321XLR—a single-aisle aircraft that’s being hailed as a “breakthrough” for its ability to fly longer transoceanic routes. (The “XLR” in A321XLR stands for “Extra Long Range”).
In recent weeks, Spanish national airline Iberia shared images of the first A321XLR leaving Airbus’ paint shop in Toulouse, France.
That sneak peek came about two months after the aircraft carrier, a Oneworld Alliance member, has announced that it will be the first airline in the world to use this new aircraft.
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In fact, Iberia sold the first seats on its first XLR, with 14 lie-flat seats in business class.
Now, if you’re hoping to fly a jet — in one of American Airlines’ New Premium Suitesno less — you may have to wait a little longer than expected.
But the plane will appear soon.
Iberia’s first A321XLR flight scheduled
Iberia’s booking channels show non-stop XLR service between Adolfo Suárez Madrid-Barajas Airport (MAD) and Boston Logan International Airport (BOS) starting as early as November 14.
The airline’s website also shows additional service from MAD to Dulles International Airport (IAD) starting as early as January.
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The plan was put into action in mid-July, when Airbus announced it had received approval from European Union regulators for the jet’s fuel-efficient engine.
In a statement announcing the EU approval, the French aircraft maker boasted that the aircraft “stands shoulder to shoulder with the wide-body aircraft in the airline’s fleet”.
That’s a big reason airlines—from Iberia to American to United Airlines—have big plans for the jet, including a truly international business-class experience right up front.
Read more: How to book Iberia flights to Spain (and beyond) with Avios
A unique networking opportunity
In a statement in May, Iberia noted that the A321XLR would “strengthen the airline’s long-haul network” thanks to its combination of long range and smaller passenger capacity.
With a range of 4,700 nautical miles — much farther than other narrow-body jets — the plane is capable of flying certain routes between the United States and Europe (such as Madrid and Boston).
Iberia’s XLR aircraft can carry just 182 passengers. In comparison, its wide-body A330 fleet can carry nearly 300 passengers, while its A350s can carry 348.
With fewer seats than larger widebody jets, airlines see the XLR as a way to fly longer, “skinny” routes that might not attract enough bookings to fill an A330… or a Boeing 777, or 787 Dreamliner. Empty seats on these planes can quickly cause profits to plummet.
That is strategy. JetBlue has used it on its transatlantic routesuses shorter-range A321LR aircraft to fly between cities in the Northeast and some locations in Northwest Europe.
This less risky proposal could give airlines more options to experiment with offering nonstop flights from the United States to more “lesser-known” destinations in Europe — or flying to major European cities from smaller U.S. starting points.
Similarly, airlines could continue to operate certain routes year-round instead of suspending them during off-peak months.
“Not only can we expand seasonal routes to year-round routes… but we can also fly to new, popular destinations that we couldn’t fly to before,” American Airlines’ vice president of customer experience Kimberly Cisek said in a speech in late May at the Aircraft Interiors Expo in Hamburg, Germany.
American XLR Plan
American, ordered the first 50 XLRs in 2019plans to launch domestic jets on “premium transcontinental” routes currently operated by the airline’s luxury four-cabin A321T aircraft, is gradually being eliminated. Even if American doesn’t plan to use the plane’s full capacity right away, it can still take advantage of the higher fuel efficiency and other performance improvements.
Like the popular A321T, however, American’s XLRs will be heavily skewed towards premium, with top-end business suites, premium economy cabins, and a large proportion of Main Cabin Extra seats with extra legroom in the back.
Expected in 2025
However, it’s unclear when American will start flying the XLR. During the airline’s earnings call in late July, CEO Robert Isom said the jet is expected to join the fleet in 2025. American executives had previously targeted late 2024.
Airbus’ delivery times have slowed slightly recently as the company cited supply chain difficulties as it adjusted its delivery expectations for late June.
Last line
For its part, Iberia also plans to emphasize similar premium pricing on a total of eight XLR aircraft it expects to receive in the coming months; there will be 14 business class cabins on board, each with direct aisle access and 18-inch 4K entertainment screens.
When the first XLR begins commercial service—likely in November—it will offer passengers a narrow-body transatlantic option perhaps only comparable to JetBlue’s Mint cabin when flying between the Northeast and Europe.
Meanwhile, bookings for the first XLR flight have opened on Iberia’s website, whether you’re hoping to use cash or a savings account. Hello.
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