A321XLR gets certification: deliveries start, a new era in long-haul flights begins

It has been more than five years since the Airbus A321XLR program was officially launched during the Paris Air Show in June 2019, achieving immediate success in the market.

Now, finally, 'the record plane' or 'the plane that will forever change the future of long-haul flying', to use two of its most commonly used definitions, obtained (with the CFM engine) certification from Easa, the European Flight Safety Authority. A recognition that comes about a year later than Airbus initially expected, but which definitely paves the way for delivery of the plane to customers who ordered it.

The first to receive the aircraft, as has been known for some time now, will be Spain's Iberia, which the Will deploy its first two units to connect Madrid with Boston and Washington, D.C.. In all they will be Eight of the -XLRs flying the Iberian flag., compared to the 14 aircraft (plus 14 options) ordered at the time by International Airlines Group (IAG).

The others Six examples will go to Ireland's Aer Lingus, which already has in its fleet the -XLR's 'little brother' (in terms of range), namely the A321LR.

In the five years since, the twin-engine narrow-body aircraft capable of flying the farthest and longest of all nonstop Has been ordered in more than 500 pieces by some 20 airlines.

The first to purchase it was the Lebanese Middle East Airlines who had ordered 4. The lessor Air Lease Corporation (ALC) has ordered 27, the Australian Qantas beauty of 36 to be employed in connections with Asia.

American Airlines converted an order for 30 A321neo into one for as many -XLRs, while, still remaining on that side of the Atlantic, United Airlines purchased 50 with which to end the (very long) operational life of its venerable Boeing 757s. And the stars-and-stripes low-cost Frontier Airlines took 18.

 

The greatest expectations, in terms of network development, concern, however, JetBlue, which has an order for 13 aircraft with which it is expected to proceed to A southward extension of its current network of European destinations (with Milan and Rome expected to be in the game).

On the European side of the ocean, another order came from Icelandair, a specialist in intercontinental flights with single-aisle aircraft, which took 13. Saudia recently joined with an order for 10 aircraft, which Will have the new Business Class on board.

But the real 'bang' (for Airbus) came from the low-cost Indian Indigo, within its Airbus mega order for 500 aircraft, purchased 50 with which to open a market in Europe.

The 'secret' of the XLR is a ventral reservoir placed immediately behind the main bogie airplane allowing it to take on enough fuel to fly nonstop for 4,700 nautical miles (8,700km), which is 1,300km more than the A321LR. To get an idea of his performance, the aircraft will be able to connect non-stop city pairs such as New York and Rome, London and Vancouver, London and Delhi or Sydney and Kuala Lumpur.

Given the 'Delicate' position of the additional tank (which is located In an area of the fuselage potentially affected by a possible tail strike, that is, the rubbing of the rear part of the nacelle during takeoff), Airbus has been the subject of particularly stringent investigation and scrutiny by EASA and the FAA, to exclude the hypothesis that sparks caused by a tail strike cannot start a fire. And this also extended the time required for its certification (with CFM Leap 1 engines).

 

Rolls Royce-supplied engine certification is expected in the first half of 2025.

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