A321XLR, there are the first destinations: where Iberia will fly from Madrid with the first super-plane

It was supposed to be Aer Lingus. It will be, instead, Iberia the first airline in the world to include in its fleet theAirbus A321XLR, the single-aisle aircraft Capable of flying for more than ten hours nonstop. So decided the International Airlines Group (IAG), of which, in addition to Aer Lingus and Iberia, British Airways and Vueling are also members.

Those, however, who were expecting a debut 'with a bang' of the -XLR will perhaps be somewhat disappointed to learn that the first two long-haul destinations Iberia will fly him to will be Boston and Washington, D.C.. That is, two cities that are widely reachable from Europe even with the A321LR, and therefore will not 'test' the exceptional range of the latest Airbus.

 

The -XLR has in fact. a maximum range of 8,700km compared with 7,400km for the A321LR who has already been flying for a number of years with several companies (including Aer Lingus, but not Iberia). The whole thanks to a tank located in the lower section of the fuselage behind the sub-wing landing gear.

A position that, even recently has raised skepticism, particularly from the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration, regarding the risks related to a possible 'tail strike' of the aircraft during takeoff, i.e., 'crawling' of the fuselage on the runway as a result of an excessive angle of attack during takeoff.

Last October, the plane made its first flight with passengers on board (167 Aibus technicians from the -XLR program), and also in that month it flew for more than 11 hours nonstop, demonstrating its outstanding capabilities. But the program, precisely because of 'reservations' expressed by regulators about the new fuel tank, Is about a year late.

Iberia, for his part, Will receive the first specimen at the end of the summer and intends to commission it on Boston and Washington from winter 2024-2025. The exact dates are not there yet, partly because. However, the aircraft has yet to be officially certified by EASA (to be followed by one from the FAA). Instead, there are details on how the plane will be 'furnished' inside.

The following are provided Two classes: one 14-seat business in 1-1 configuration with aisle access for all passengers, lie-flat seats and IFE with Bluetooth system and 18-inch 4K screen; and A 168-seat Economy in a 3-3 configuration With individual screen equipped with Bluetooth system. Wi-fi will be available and free in both classrooms for messaging. The total number of seats on board (182), coupled with the fact that there will be as many as seven rows of Business Class on board, suggests that in Economy, the legroom available to passengers will be rather tight.

Of 14 A321XLRs ordered in 2019 by IAG (with 14 options), eight will wear the livery of Iberia (while six will go to Aer Lingus), which is likely to employ at a later stage the plane to Canadian destinations (Montreal and Toronto) and in northern Brazil (Fortaleza, Recife, Salvador). The latter would put the XLR's ability to fly nonstop longer than any of its single-aisle, two-engine predecessors to greater test.

To date, Airbus has received nearly 600 orders from more than 25 airlines for the Airbus A321XLR. These include Iberia, Aer Lingus, Icelandair and Wizz Air in Europe; American Airlines, United Airlines, JetBlue and Air Canada in North America; Saudia in the Middle East; IndiGo in India; and Australia's Qantas.