With the debut of the Airbus A321XLR getting closer by the week, it seems that Airbus and Air Astana are upstaging that somewhat. Today, Air Astana announced it has installed additional fuel tanks on an A321LR, adding enough fuel to extend the range and operate nonstop from Kazakhstan to London.

One of the world’s longest narrowbody routes

Since its launch in March 2022, Air Astana’s service from Almaty to London Heathrow has been operated in two stages, with a technical refueling stop in Aktau around three hours into the journey. The scheduled time for the technical stop varies but is around 1:30 hours before the nearly six-hour flight to London, giving a total trip time of about 10:30 hours.

Air Astana Airbus A321LR

Today, Air Astana announced that from October 4, 2024, the service will become a nonstop 9:35-hour flight from Almaty International Airport (ALA) to London Heathrow Airport (LHR). The route will still be flown with an Airbus A321LR, but the operating aircraft will have additional fuel tanks, allowing it to fly one of the world’s longest nonstop narrowbody routes.

Air Astana has partnered with Airbus to enhance the efficiency of its long-haul flights by adding extra fuel tanks. This modification to the A321LR will completely change how the airline operates its long-haul services, particularly on new or thinner routes, just as the A321XLR will do.

Airbus A321XLR shutterstock_2484933165

Photo: Sergey Kohl | Shutterstock

It will also give us real-world experience of how well passengers adapt to being onboard a single-aisle aircraft for close to ten hours. Air Astana, with the support of Airbus, is giving the industry a look into the future of how passengers and crews will accept this relatively new concept of long-haul narrowbody flights.

Air Astana is taking the lead with this strategic move

The airline described the change as modernization and said it is a key component of its long-term strategy to enhance operational efficiency. The modification incorporates all the necessary technical and safety aspects, and operating nonstop to London will improve the airline’s operational performance and significantly reduce travel time.

Air Astana Airbus A321LR

Photo: Air Astana

So far, there is no news on how many A321LRs will have the additional tanks or what other routes will be turned into nonstop flights or added to the network. With its central location, Air Astana is ideally placed to utilize the extended range in all directions, with possibilities for new routes in Asia, the Middle East, Africa and Europe, and even further afield.

A young and vibrant fleet at its disposal

The Air Astana Group, which includes Air Astana and low-cost carrier FlyArystan, has a fleet of 56 aircraft. This year, Air Astana has added to its Airbus A320neo Family fleet and now has nine A320neos and 16 A321 neos, including 12 of the A321-200NX(LR) variant. Air Astana also operates A320-200s, A321-200s and Boeing 767-300s.

Air Astana and FlyArystan aircarft

Photo: Air Astana

Data from Planespotters.net indicates that FlyArystan has an all-Airbus fleet of 23, including 13 A320-200s and 10 A320neos, although not all are in service. The group’s modern fleet of A320neo Family jets has been impacted by the durability issues with Pratt & Whitney GTF engines, which has involved using aircraft on wet lease arrangements to maintain schedules.

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