Dec 3, 2019, 5:26 pm
Last edit by: WineCountryUA
United Airlines Sets a Course for the Future With Order of 50 Airbus A321XLR Aircraft
New aircraft will improve operational efficiency, elevate the inflight travel experience and reduce environmental impact
Airline expects to operate new aircraft on transatlantic routes out of its East Coast hubs in 2024
Photos(1)
CHICAGO, Dec. 3, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- United Airlines today announced an order to purchase 50 new Airbus A321XLR aircraft, enabling the carrier to begin replacing and retiring its existing fleet of Boeing 757-200 aircraft and further meet the airline's operational needs by pairing the optimal aircraft with select transatlantic routes. The state-of-the-art aircraft, which United expects to introduce into international service in 2024, will also allow United to explore serving additional destinations in Europe from its East Coast hubs in Newark/New York and Washington.
"The new Airbus A321XLR aircraft is an ideal one-for-one replacement for the older, less-efficient aircraft currently operating between some of the most vital cities in our intercontinental network," said Andrew Nocella, United's executive vice president and chief commercial officer. "In addition to strengthening our ability to fly more efficiently, the A321XLR's range capabilities open potential new destinations to further develop our route network and provide customers with more options to travel the globe."
The next-generation A321XLR offers customers an elevated inflight experience and features modern amenities including LED lighting, larger overhead bin space and Wi-Fi connectivity. Additionally, the new aircraft lowers overall fuel burn per seat by about 30% when compared to previous generation aircraft, enabling United to further minimize its environmental impact as the carrier moves towards its ambitious goal of reducing its carbon footprint by 50% relative to 2005 levels by 2050.
United plans to begin taking delivery of the Airbus A321XLR in 2024. Additionally, the airline will defer the delivery of its order of Airbus A350s until 2027 to better align with the carrier's operational needs.
New aircraft will improve operational efficiency, elevate the inflight travel experience and reduce environmental impact
Airline expects to operate new aircraft on transatlantic routes out of its East Coast hubs in 2024
Photos(1)
CHICAGO, Dec. 3, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- United Airlines today announced an order to purchase 50 new Airbus A321XLR aircraft, enabling the carrier to begin replacing and retiring its existing fleet of Boeing 757-200 aircraft and further meet the airline's operational needs by pairing the optimal aircraft with select transatlantic routes. The state-of-the-art aircraft, which United expects to introduce into international service in 2024, will also allow United to explore serving additional destinations in Europe from its East Coast hubs in Newark/New York and Washington.
"The new Airbus A321XLR aircraft is an ideal one-for-one replacement for the older, less-efficient aircraft currently operating between some of the most vital cities in our intercontinental network," said Andrew Nocella, United's executive vice president and chief commercial officer. "In addition to strengthening our ability to fly more efficiently, the A321XLR's range capabilities open potential new destinations to further develop our route network and provide customers with more options to travel the globe."
The next-generation A321XLR offers customers an elevated inflight experience and features modern amenities including LED lighting, larger overhead bin space and Wi-Fi connectivity. Additionally, the new aircraft lowers overall fuel burn per seat by about 30% when compared to previous generation aircraft, enabling United to further minimize its environmental impact as the carrier moves towards its ambitious goal of reducing its carbon footprint by 50% relative to 2005 levels by 2050.
United plans to begin taking delivery of the Airbus A321XLR in 2024. Additionally, the airline will defer the delivery of its order of Airbus A350s until 2027 to better align with the carrier's operational needs.
United to order 50 Airbus A321XLR (for 2024) (TATL w/Polaris seats)
Dec 5, 2019 | 10:29 am
#76
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While the MAX situation likely was a contributing factor in the decision fo UA to purchase the Airbus A321XLR, let's not open another in-depth discussion of the MAX details in this thread but rather use the MAX thread for that B737MAX [Grounded as of 13 March 2019]
WineCountryUA
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WineCountryUA
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Dec 5, 2019 | 12:26 pm
#77
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It will be interesting how they equip the plane. They can't run a whole bunch of Y with 30" pitch and have the range. They can (1) equip it with PE and then 32" Y, or (2) I guess do three classes, say 8 J seats, 12 PE then 32" Y, would help with range, or (3) do what Aer Lingus and TAP are doing with 16 J staggered then some Y+.
16J + 8-12PE is my guess. Possibly even more J based on the thinking represented in the B763 high-J config.
Dec 5, 2019 | 1:03 pm
#78
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I can see a few business routes that UA might want to do on this bird, ORD-EDI, ORD-AMS , some of the routes from EWR (or ORD) and Scandinavia (CPH, ARN, etc), perhaps ORD-Stutgart, or EWR-Berlin, EWR-Lyon, but much of the routes I would think UA would want to serve would be less premium business heavy, routes from ORD/EWR/IAD to spain/portugal, middle European places like Vienna, Prague, or destinations in Italy.
I would also expect these planes to be used on IAH/SFO flights to central/upper south America, none of which is that premium heavy.
Dec 5, 2019 | 2:26 pm
#79
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Most places the 16J 757s are going TATL. I think they'd have more J as a 2 class airplane if not for the 2L boarding. Since they now have PE and 1L boarding, I got to my config guess above.
Dec 5, 2019 | 2:51 pm
#80
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Sad for the US aircraft industry. The days of 90,000 cycles for products like the 747 are gone. 757's and 767's will probably make it to 90k, but their days are fast approaching. 737max is grounded. The rest of the 737's are seeing pickle fork issues at 25000 cycles.
There's only a single viable vendor for the immediate future now: Airbus.
...unless 787's can be put into non-hub routes like the 1970's and 1980's had, kind of like UA/CO's island hopping.
Has-beens Lockheed, McDonnell/Douglas, British Aerospace, Saab, Swearingen, De Havilland are all gone from the commercial aircraft market. Embraer got acquired by Boeing. Bombardier got acquired by Airbus.
China & Russia combined to try to bust into the market. They have an opening now, but their powerplants just don't have pedigrees or supply chains established.
There's only a single viable vendor for the immediate future now: Airbus.
...unless 787's can be put into non-hub routes like the 1970's and 1980's had, kind of like UA/CO's island hopping.
Has-beens Lockheed, McDonnell/Douglas, British Aerospace, Saab, Swearingen, De Havilland are all gone from the commercial aircraft market. Embraer got acquired by Boeing. Bombardier got acquired by Airbus.
China & Russia combined to try to bust into the market. They have an opening now, but their powerplants just don't have pedigrees or supply chains established.
Last edited by Long Zhiren; Dec 5, 2019 at 3:01 pm
Dec 5, 2019 | 3:47 pm
#83
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At any fuel load of 29t or more, the XLR will surely give the 752 a run for its money in range. At near-equivalent fuel loads I can't see how it could possibly have less range. Yes, it will take longer to get to FL360 or above, but that's going to be more than compensated for by the GTF/LEAP engines that have considerably lower SFC and lower max thrust than the PW2040.
Last edited by milypan; Dec 5, 2019 at 5:34 pm
Dec 5, 2019 | 4:02 pm
#84
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No doubt on some of the 757 routes, e.g. to LHR, EDI, I expect they could sell more J. However, we are talking 50 of these birds, not 16. I also think that having PE cuts into the demand for J on what are going to be max 7-8 hour flights. It will be interesting though as what UA announced will give us a good look into how PE sales are going vs J and how much cannibalism there is on shorter (i.e. not 12-15 hours) routes.
Dec 5, 2019 | 4:04 pm
#85
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Dec 5, 2019 | 4:06 pm
#86
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Is it possible that once UA gets the XLR, they may decide to take on shorter-range A321neos as well? I would hope that they develop a high-J subfleet (like the sUA p.s. 752 birds with 28J) that could be used for premium TCON, but I would think the XLR is too much plane for TCON routes.
Dec 6, 2019 | 12:12 am
#88
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I knows A321XLR can fly nonstop flight from O'Hare to Basel, Geneva, Helsinki, Stockholm, Pisa, Vienna.
According of Great Circle Mapper:
Great Circle Mapper
They sure can fly nonstop flight from O'Hare hub instead of EWR or IAD.
All I want to fly nonstop flight ORD to Basel, Switzerland. It will be very easy for me. I don't have stop in London-Heathrow anymore.
According of Great Circle Mapper:
Great Circle Mapper
They sure can fly nonstop flight from O'Hare hub instead of EWR or IAD.
All I want to fly nonstop flight ORD to Basel, Switzerland. It will be very easy for me. I don't have stop in London-Heathrow anymore.
Dec 6, 2019 | 12:29 am
#89
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Do we know that for sure? B752 has 57t to work with (MTOW OEW), of which ~19t goes to pax/luggage in a TATL configuration, leaving 38t. But the tanks only hold ~34t, so that appears to be the limiting factor. A321XLR MTOW is forecast at 101t. At 101t it would have 50t to work with, of which ~18t goes to pax/luggage, so ~32t of fuel. I'm unclear on the tank size of the XLR. The A321neo holds ~24t, and the new rear center tank can hold almost 10t; if they're additive then it could hold a full 32t.
At any fuel load of 29t or more, the XLR will surely give the 752 a run for its money in range. At near-equivalent fuel loads I can't see how it could possibly have less range. Yes, it will take longer to get to FL360 or above, but that's going to be more than compensated for by the GTF/LEAP engines that have considerably lower SFC and lower max thrust than the PW2040.
At any fuel load of 29t or more, the XLR will surely give the 752 a run for its money in range. At near-equivalent fuel loads I can't see how it could possibly have less range. Yes, it will take longer to get to FL360 or above, but that's going to be more than compensated for by the GTF/LEAP engines that have considerably lower SFC and lower max thrust than the PW2040.
I think the a321xlr will allow an airline to do routes (like EWR-Berlin) and even longer new routes e.g. from ORD or a route like IAD-Berlin, which were outside of the range of the 757 resulting in tech stops.
Dec 6, 2019 | 1:19 am
#90
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I knows A321XLR can fly nonstop flight from O'Hare to Basel, Geneva, Helsinki, Stockholm, Pisa, Vienna.
According of Great Circle Mapper:
Great Circle Mapper
According of Great Circle Mapper:
Great Circle Mapper
This was an issue with 752s had with some routes -- easy in the summer, not so easy in the winter due to the jetstream
Last edited by WineCountryUA; Dec 6, 2019 at 1:00 pm