Jun 19, 2019, 9:33 am
Last edit by: Prospero
AA Airbus A321XLR
merican ordered 50 Airbus A321XLR at the June Paris Airshow held at Paris - Le Bourget airport. 30 of these replace previously ordered A321neo, 20 are new orders. These will largely fulfill the roles of the departing Boeing 757-200. Airbus announced first deliveries of the XLR to start in 2023.
The Airbus A321XLR will reportedly have over 90% compatibility with, and will use the same basic engines as, the A321neo. With a range at ~101 metric tons of up to 4,700 nm, @5% more than the A321LR, the longest range of any narrowbody commercial aircraft. The aircraft will offer a 30% fuel savings compared to current comparable aircraft.
The aircraft can accommodate 180-220 passengers in two class configuration. AA is reported by several sources as seeking to fly these with all aisle access lie flat bed seats in Business, Premium Economy. Routing is expected to include East Coast - Europe lower demand routes, and likely South America.
“American will take delivery of their A321XLRs over the following timeframe...: 8 in 2023, 22 in 2024, 20 in 2025” - OMAT
Launch customers for the A321XLR were Steven F. Udvar-Házy‘s Air Lease Corporation (27) and Middle East Airlines of Lebanon, (4). Other airlines ordering A321XLR directly or through lessors include, additionally to AA, Aer Lingus, Frontier, Iberia, JetSMART (Chile), Jetstar, Qantas, Wizz Air.
OMAT
published range maps from GC
Maps:
Links to sources
Link to Is The Airbus A321XLR Vaporware Or The New Long-Range Leader?, Michael Goldstein, Forbes, 19 Jun 2018 (early speculation)
JonNYC original “hearing from multiple angles that an AA order for the A321LR is imminent, potentially at the Paris air show” was 31 May 2019, quoted in this thread on airliners.net.
Link to Airbus launches longest range single-aisle airliner: the A321XLR, Airbus, 17 Jun 2019
Link to Airbus Launches The A321XLR, The Longest Range Narrow Body Plane Ever, by Ben (Lucky), OMAT, 17 Jun 2019
Link to American Airlines agrees to order 50 Airbus A321XLRs,Airbus, 19 Jun 2019
Link to American Airlines Orders 50 Airbus A321XLRs, Ben (Lucky, 19 Jun 2019 OMAT
Link to American Airlines to become the first US airline to order new Airbus plane Phil LeBeau, CNBC, 19 Jun 2019 (It was actually Frontier who ordered first)
merican ordered 50 Airbus A321XLR at the June Paris Airshow held at Paris - Le Bourget airport. 30 of these replace previously ordered A321neo, 20 are new orders. These will largely fulfill the roles of the departing Boeing 757-200. Airbus announced first deliveries of the XLR to start in 2023.
The Airbus A321XLR will reportedly have over 90% compatibility with, and will use the same basic engines as, the A321neo. With a range at ~101 metric tons of up to 4,700 nm, @5% more than the A321LR, the longest range of any narrowbody commercial aircraft. The aircraft will offer a 30% fuel savings compared to current comparable aircraft.
The aircraft can accommodate 180-220 passengers in two class configuration. AA is reported by several sources as seeking to fly these with all aisle access lie flat bed seats in Business, Premium Economy. Routing is expected to include East Coast - Europe lower demand routes, and likely South America.
“American will take delivery of their A321XLRs over the following timeframe...: 8 in 2023, 22 in 2024, 20 in 2025” - OMAT
Launch customers for the A321XLR were Steven F. Udvar-Házy‘s Air Lease Corporation (27) and Middle East Airlines of Lebanon, (4). Other airlines ordering A321XLR directly or through lessors include, additionally to AA, Aer Lingus, Frontier, Iberia, JetSMART (Chile), Jetstar, Qantas, Wizz Air.
OMAT
published range maps from GC
Maps:
Links to sources
Link to Is The Airbus A321XLR Vaporware Or The New Long-Range Leader?, Michael Goldstein, Forbes, 19 Jun 2018 (early speculation)
JonNYC original “hearing from multiple angles that an AA order for the A321LR is imminent, potentially at the Paris air show” was 31 May 2019, quoted in this thread on airliners.net.
Link to Airbus launches longest range single-aisle airliner: the A321XLR, Airbus, 17 Jun 2019
Link to Airbus Launches The A321XLR, The Longest Range Narrow Body Plane Ever, by Ben (Lucky), OMAT, 17 Jun 2019
Link to American Airlines agrees to order 50 Airbus A321XLRs,Airbus, 19 Jun 2019
Link to American Airlines Orders 50 Airbus A321XLRs, Ben (Lucky, 19 Jun 2019 OMAT
Link to American Airlines to become the first US airline to order new Airbus plane Phil LeBeau, CNBC, 19 Jun 2019 (It was actually Frontier who ordered first)
AA Orders 50 Airbus A321XLR at 2019 Paris Airshow
Jun 21, 2019, 6:59 pm
#46
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I'd say Morocco/Casablanca the only contender on that list-- and not necessarily on this new plane.
Last edited by JonNYC; Jun 21, 2019 at 7:08 pm
Jun 21, 2019, 9:47 pm
#48
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The PE seats are essentially the same as what's going into F in new / reconfig domestic narrowbodies.
Jun 22, 2019, 6:33 am
#49
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I guess it all depends on where they deploy these planes. For Hawaii and South American thin routesi, we won't see any lie flat seating. For some longer European routes, I envision something like a front section of the aircraft being like the current business class lie flat seating on the domestic A321T routes. I can't see them making money with all-aisle access (ala A321T First seating). The 321XLR will never make money with < 150 seats. Add a few rows of PE and the rest for the bottom feeders and you satisfy most of the market who wants the point to point nonstop option.
Since this plane is meant as a 757 replacement, I would think they would look for a 12-16 range lie flat F/J, 8 PE, 12-18 MCE and rest normal Y
Now the question it be placed ahead of the 2L, which would mean only 12 F/J seats. If behind 2L, would they create a 2 row mini-cabin, a la the 77W front J section, except with a bulkhead erected to separate from Y?
Jun 22, 2019, 8:40 am
#50
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But... the new A321neo / A321-253NX has no 2L, so it’s possible the XLR won’t either.
The Premium Economy seat may well be the same Rockwell Collins MiQ as used as wide body PE and with slight modifications narrowbody “Oasis” domestic First, 2 x 2 as teemuflyer says.
The Premium Economy seat may well be the same Rockwell Collins MiQ as used as wide body PE and with slight modifications narrowbody “Oasis” domestic First, 2 x 2 as teemuflyer says.
Jun 22, 2019, 9:15 am
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Jun 22, 2019, 2:46 pm
#53
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Jun 22, 2019, 5:27 pm
#55
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Jun 22, 2019, 7:06 pm
#56
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Elsewhere, there are tears over the loss of “Eleanor” (2 L & R).
It does allow AA some flexibility in a “natural” forward cabin size without having to plan for the #2 exits.
It does allow AA some flexibility in a “natural” forward cabin size without having to plan for the #2 exits.
NB: While 28BC show in the seat map as "exit row," I doubt they'll be MCE.
Jun 23, 2019, 12:31 am
#57
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Simple yes, but you don’t actually need the XLR for these - I believe the LR could already serve these routes right?
Jun 23, 2019, 2:57 pm
#58
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Yes, I was hoping CLT-BSL nonstop flight by operated A321XLR. They can have more capabilities, more fuel-efficient, and more range, as well. Will they ever consider it?
Jun 23, 2019, 4:28 pm
#59
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Plus, A321s never board from 2L anyway as it's too close to the engine and/or not enough jetway clearance. So, useless as a boarding door, and if Airbus can get away with overwing exits instead of full doors at 2, I'm certain AA and others are delighted because they can cram yet another row of seats in.
Jun 24, 2019, 10:22 pm
#60
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My thought is that this would provide much less (too little?) differentiation between PE and J on the XLR than on widebodies where J is more spacious. In particular, the post by PHL that I was replying to was suggesting 2+2 J, which seems redundant with 2+2 PE if the only real difference is amount of recline.