At 1:04 PM this Thursday, a new chapter in commercial aviation history began with the departure of the first transatlantic flight of the Airbus A321XLR. The aircraft, registration EC-OIL, departed from Adolfo Suárez Madrid-Barajas International Airport, operating Iberia flight 347 to Boston, where it is expected to arrive at 3:20 PM local time, after a little over eight hours of flight.
Much water has passed under the bridge since the A321XLR variant was officially presented at the 2019 Paris Air Show, surprising with a promised range of up to 4,700 nm (8,700 km) in a single-aisle aircraft, thus bringing a new level of cost efficiency to a variety of long-haul routes.
The goal was to capitalize on the success of the A321neo and to counter Boeing’s plans for the long-awaited «New Midsize Airplane,» which was supposed to evolve from the 757. However, this was not entirely necessary: the 737 MAX accidents and the pandemic shifted the focus of the U.S. manufacturer. Airbus achieved its goal: to date, the A321XLR has accumulated 480 firm orders from airlines such as Iberia, United Airlines, American Airlines, and South American carriers like JetSMART, SKY Airline, and LATAM, who intend to use it both to replace the Boeing 757 and wide-body aircraft and to launch secondary routes that were previously unviable with other types of aircraft.
The Airbus A321XLR received its certification in July 2024, after its first flight in 2022. Since the beginning of the year, it has undergone intensive testing under the supervision of the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA), evaluating the functionality and reliability of its systems.
However, since mid-2024, the manufacturer has been dealing with a shortfall in the aircraft’s expected range. This adjustment resulted from agreements reached with European regulators regarding necessary design safeguards, a crucial step to achieve certification of the new long-haul single-aisle aircraft, mainly due to the additional fuel tank. This situation delayed the delivery of the first model, which had been planned for the first half of 2024.
Iberia and the A321XLR
The Spanish airline received the first of its eight A321XLRs on October 30, and introduced it into commercial service on Wednesday, November 6, on a flight between Madrid and Paris. Since then, it has been operating various short-haul services for crews and ground teams to become familiar with the aircraft, a usual process when an airline incorporates a new model into its fleet.
Unlike the 240 seats usually found on A321neos in domestic or inter-European routes, Iberia’s A321XLR is configured with 182 seats, of which 14 are lie-flat seats in Business Class, and the rest in Economy Class with increased legroom.
In addition to Boston, Iberia has already confirmed Washington-Dulles as the second destination it will serve with the A321XLR, starting January 15, 2025.
Other airlines that have confirmed their inaugural A321XLR flights in 2025 include Aer Lingus and Wizz Air.
