Iberia Airlines First To Put Airbus A321XLR Into Commercial Service

On November 6, 2024, the first commercial flight of an Airbus A321XLR took place. Iberia flew the new jet from Madrid to Paris, a flight of 1063 kilometers or 574 nautical miles.

The 90-minute jaunt gives little indication of what the A321XLR’s capabilities are, how it might change the aviation industry, or even bring airlines closer to elusive profits. Iberia will continue short-range flights across its European network for the next few weeks. .

The shakedown flights are designed to familiarize substantial numbers of pilots and flight crew with the new aircraft. Iberia’s first A321XLR is slated to make its first transatlantic flight from Madrid to Boston later in November. That flight will be a little longer than from Madrid to Paris, clocking in at 5487 kilometers or just under 3000 nautical miles.

That is the whole point of the A321XLR. According to Airbus, the new plane will deliver an unprecedented long range of up to 4,700nm. That’s 15% more range than the current A321LR. Airbus also says the A321XLR has 30% lower fuel burn per seat compared with previous generation competitor aircraft, as well as reduced NOx emissions and noise.

So far, Airbus has secured more than 500 orders for the aircraft. Aer Lingus, American, Qantas, United and JetBlue are among the airlines that will follow Iberia in deploying the aircraft.

Adding the third fuel tank required upgrading up to 80% of the plane’s structure to support the extra weight. Nonetheless, the A321XLR can be built on the same assembly line as other A321neoa models.

Iberia’s new A321XLR seats 182 passengers in a two-class layout. Business class passengers get lie-flat business seats with direct aisle access. Airbus says the overhead luggage bins provide 60% more luggage capacity, which the company, perhaps optimistically, says will provide a more relaxed boarding experience for passengers and cabin crew.

In the new Airspace cabin from Airbus, connectivity is available for passengers at every seat. The cabin IFE (in-flight entertainment) systems include in-seat 4K video screens or a wireless IFE solution. The cabin also includes customizable ambient lighting and high levels of cabin air quality. Airbus says this will create a comfortable passenger experience in a relatively small single-aisle plane capable of 9-hour flights.

Marco Sansavini, CEO & Chairman at Iberia, said: “We are very proud to be the launch airline for this new Airbus aircraft. The A321XLR will allow us to reach new destinations, operating transoceanic routes and doing so in a more efficient way.”

I first wrote about the plane in 2018, and it was officially introduced at the 2019 Paris Air Show. It is the latest in the highly successful A321neo line from Airbus of narrowbody, single-aisle twin jets.

The 180-220 passenger narrowbody aircraft is being discussed as a replacement for the aging Boeing 757 (last manufactured in 2004). United plans to replace its 757s with the A321XLR starting in December 2025.

But I predicted at its announcement that the A321XLR would actually replace its much larger brother, the Airbus A380 superjumbo, as well as the Boeing 747. Both of the jumbo giants were still in production at that time.

No, I did not predict the COVID-19 pandemic, which would shut down most commercial aviation and drive airlines to retire older jumbos like 747s and some Airbus A380 aircraft. Both Airbus and Boeing ended production of their big four-engine planes by 2021.

So why would a much smaller plane replace a majestic jumbo jet? Because the A321XLR can fly transatlantic and other routes of up to 4500 miles with much lower crew and fuel costs. In addition, the A321XLR doesn’t need the long-reinforced runaways or special boarding gate the A380 requires. Most importantly, it’s a lot easier to fill a 200-passenger jet with paying customers than a 500-passenger behemoth.

But in terms of head-to-head competition, the A321XLR will replace the aging Boeing 757, which can carry 200-240 passengers about 3,915 nm (7,250 km). The Airbus A321XLR will bring plenty of improvements over the 757 in terms of range, sustainability, passenger comforts, and modern aircraft controls. However, Airbus has a huge backlog of orders, (the first A321XLR was supposed to be delivered in 2023) so the replacement process may take years.

Unfortunately for Boeing, the company does not have a direct answer for the A321XLR, as it did not launch a replacement for the B757 when production ended 20 years ago. According to the Seattle Times “That Boeing never replaced the 757 was “a huge mistake,” said Bjorn Fehrm, an aviation analyst with Leeham.net. It would have been a “smack-on better competitor to the XLR.”

The rumor mill has literally been running for years claiming that the company would finally launch a competitive Boeing New Midsize Airplane, or B797.

The aircraft has not appeared, nor has it been officially announced. It was teased in a press release from Boeing about a labor agreement with the machinist’s unions. “We’re excited that, as part of the contract, our team in the Puget Sound region will build Boeing’s next new airplane.”

The 797, should it appear, is supposed to bridge the size and range gap between the 737 MAX and the 787 Dreamliner. But as Simple Flying put it, “Delays and competition from Airbus have stalled the project.”

From the airline’s point of view, planes like the A321XLR are like catnip. They offer high efficiency, lower fuel and crew costs, and the flexibility to be easily deployed to new or emerging routes.

In 2019, Steven F. Udvar-Házy, Executive Chairman of Air Lease Corporation, noted, “With the A321XLR, we will open a whole new dimension of routes up to nine hours of flight time. You could travel from Barcelona to Chicago, or from Texas or Florida to anywhere in South America – including Chile, Argentina and Brazil.”

Some observers have doubts about how many people will choose to sit in economy on a small plane with tight lavatories for eight or even nine hours. But the reality is that potential profit, not passenger comfort, is the major driver for most airlines. So like many things in the aviation industry, people will just have to get used to it.