This Plane is About to Change the Industry — Are Passengers Ready?

Airlines have asked planemakers for the same thing for decades: give them aircraft that can fly long-haul at the lowest price per passenger. Over the years, Airbus and Boeing have taken different approaches to this problem.

The twin-aisle products on offer have varied from the double-decker A380 to connect slot-constrained hub airports, through to the smaller Boeing 787. Despite the options, there’s still been a gap in the market. 

In 2019, Airbus announced a project to develop a single-aisle airplane that could fly 5,400 miles. This would allow airlines to fly up to 10 or even 11 hours with up to 220 passengers - much fewer than ordinary long-haul jets.

The additional range is made possible thanks to an extra fuel tank added to a special version of the popular A321neo aircraft. 

The first A321XLR (that's eXtra Long Range) was delivered to Iberia last month and after familiarization flights around Europe, the Spanish carrier operated the first long-haul flight with the plane between Madrid and Boston on November 14.

Speaking ahead of the maiden transatlantic trip, Christian Scherer, CEO of Airbus Commercial Aircraft said routes such as Madrid- Boston “demonstrate the strategic value that the A321XLR brings to the long-haul market.”

As more XLRs join the Iberia fleet, the company will be able to better optimize seasonal routes. It could also continue operating once seasonal services year-round by s