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Long Range Leader
Airbus’ A321XLR has already racked up over 550 orders and
emerged as a market favourite for single-aisle long-haul travel
By Atul Chandra
irbus is further launched at the 2019 Paris Air in the backlog, ensuring all A320
extending its lead- Show. Family Final Assembly Lines
A ership position in become A321 capable. Airbus
the single-aisle market with Airbus however, will not only has inaugurated a dedicated
its A321XLR (Xtra Long have to meet high customer hangar in Hamburg (Germany),
Range),with the jet’s orderbook expectations for the A321XLR to equip the A321 XLR.
nearing 10% of the European but also ensure timely Entry into
airframer’s total orders for its Service (EIS) even as it adjusts Testing Regime
A321neo family, which stands the speed of the A320 Family The first A321XLR made its
at over 5,600 aircraft. The ramp-up to rate 65 aircraft per maiden flight in June 2023
A321XLR’s ability to fly up to month by early this year, speed- and four flight test aircraft are
244 passengers as far away as ing up to 75 aircraft per month now part of the development
8,700km and stay in the air for by 2025. Airbus will also have programme. Three new-build
up to 11 hours has caught the to cater for Pratt & Whitney’s -XLRs along with MSN6839 – an
interest of airlines and lessors. continued troubles with it GTF upgraded regular A321neo. Of
Potential operators are also engine programme. All three the three new-build A321XLR
eyeing the savings in using this A321XLRs FTV have now flown, test aircraft, the first two –
single-aisle type instead of their with the aircraft’s entry-into-ser- MSN11000 (known as ‘FTV1’)
existing twin-aisle aircraft on vice expected to take place in and MSN11058 (‘FTV2’) are
many long-haul routes. Q2 2024. equipped with the full suite
of Flight-Test Instrumentation
Airbus has benefited massively In December 2023, Airbus (FTI) and engineer interactive
from this interest notching up announced groundwork was stations.
orders for over 550 A321XLRs, continuing throughout all its sites
since the long-range sin- to secure rate 75 and adapt to These two prototype aircraft
gle-aisle aircraft was formally the higher proportion of A321s also feature a transferable water
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