The first-ever A321XLR has taken to the skies for the very first time, marking the beginning of the flight test campaign for one of Airbus’ most important new jets. The A321XLR completed its flight near to Airbus’ Finkenwerder site in Hamburg, Germany.

Starting from 2023, the A321XLR is expected to enter commercial service with unprecedented extra-long range of up to 4,700nm – 15% more than the A321LR but with the same fuel efficiency.

With this added range, airlines will be able to operate a lower-cost single-aisle aircraft on longer and less heavily travelled routes – many of which can now only be served by larger and less efficient wide-body aircraft. This will enable operators to open new world-wide routes such as India to Europe or China to Australia, as well as further extending the Airbus single-aisle jets portfolio non-stop reach on direct transatlantic flights between continental Europe and the Americas.

For airlines, commonality is key. The A321XLR has been designed to maximise overall commonality with the A321LR and the rest of the A320neo Family – meaning flight crew can be certified to fly the aircraft without significant ‘conversation’ training. There are some changes, however, including a new permanent Rear Centre Tank (RCT) for more fuel volume; a modified landing gear for an increased maximum take-off weight (MTOW) of 101 metric tonnes; and an optimised wing trailing-edge flap configuration to preserve the same take-off performance and engine thrust requirements as today’s A321neo. The new optimised RCT holds more fuel than several optional Additional Centre Tanks (ACTs) did previously, while taking up less space in the cargo hold – thus freeing-up underfloor volume for additional cargo and baggage on long range routes.

Here’s how the Airbus jet has evolved in a short space of time…

A321neo (new engine option aka “NEO”) — which first flew in February 2016 — has a range of approximately 3,700 nautical miles. It’s also capable of flying transatlantic between Paris and New York in an all-Business Class configuration — but most airlines are using the jet for mid-haul routes. Airlines are still able to place orders for the jet.

A321LR (long-range) — the aircraft first flew in January 2018, has a range of approximately 4,000 nautical miles, and is capable of flying from London to New Delhi non-stop. It’s in service with multiple airlines, including TAP Air Portugal, Aer Lingus, Kazakhstan’s flag carrier, Air Astana, and Scandinavian Airlines.

A321XLR (extra long-range) — Preparing to take to the skies and commence its flight test campaign soon, the aircraft will have a range of 4,700nm and an increased maximum take-off weight (MTOW) of 101 tonnes, enabling the jet to be fitted with a permanent Rear Centre Tank (carrying an extra 12,900 litres of fuel) and an optional forward tank. American Airlines, United, Qantas and Air Arabia are set to take the jet once it enters commercial service.

The A321XLR has secured dozens of orders. Australia’s Qantas Airways is backing Airbus’ new extended range A321XLR with an agreement covering 36 aircraft. International Airlines Group (IAG) has selected the A321XLR to expand its fleet of highly efficient single aisles with a firm order for 14 aircraft. Of these, eight are destined for Iberia and six for Aer Lingus. IAG, the parent company of major airlines also including British Airways, Level and Vueling, is one of Airbus’s largest customers and this agreement will take the overall order from the group to 530 aircraft. IAG airlines combined operate one of the world’s largest Airbus fleets with over 400 aircraft.

Willie Walsh, former IAG chief executive, said: “The A321XLR has the same unit cost as a widebody long-haul aircraft which will enable profitable network expansion. This will strengthen both Dublin and Madrid hubs providing new transatlantic routes and additional flexibility for connecting passengers. These aircraft will also bring further cost efficiencies and environmental benefits.”

The aircraft will enable Aer Lingus to launch new routes beyond the US East Coast and Canada. For Iberia, this is a new aircraft type that will enable it to operate new transatlantic destinations and increase frequencies in key markets. JetBlue will add the A321XLR, along with American Airlines and United.

The main driver of air travel recovery amid the pandemic has been in the single-aisle or “middle of the market”— where Airbus already had a significant advantage before the crisis.

Air Canada will also take the A321XLR, Michael Rousseau, president and chief executive officer of Air Canada said: “Air Canada is committed to further strengthen its market-leading position, especially through investments in new technology. The acquisition of the state-of-the-art Airbus A321XLR is an important element of this strategy and will drive our core priorities of elevating the customer experience, advancing our environmental goals, network expansion and increasing our overall cost efficiency.”

Gerd Weber, head of A320 Family Value Stream Management & FALs points out: “In the final assembly of the A321XLR aircraft, there is not a big variation compared with the other A321 aircraft. The major differences in the -XLR are seen in the ‘pre-FAL’, at section assembly level, where the RCT is installed, for example.”

He added: “This test aircraft has a partial cabin installed to leave space for all the required flight test equipment. What is also specific for this first A321XLR aircraft is that there is a lot of documentation work to be done, especially for flight test installation, which is very different from our serial process. This requires a special focus by all the teams in closing the documentation and dealing with any discrepancies.”

In an additional push towards cleaner, more sustainable flying, Airbus has committed to delivering all aircraft from its US Manufacturing Facility in Mobile, Alabama with Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) on board. The initiative is a further step towards fulfilling Airbus’ commitment to carbon-neutral growth in the aviation sector.

Commercial aviation continues to be responsible for about 2-3% of global carbon emissions. To date, the industry has made most progress on efficiency gains on new aircraft.

Source: Civil Aviation Authority – Qatar