Airbus A321LR Completes Maiden Flight

Airbus on Wednesday completed the first flight of the A321LR, a longer range version of the single-aisle A321neo jet.

The maiden flight took off from Airbus Hamburg at 11:06 local time and lasted 2 hours and 36 minutes.

The A321LR has a 7,400 km (4,625 miles) range allowing the aircraft to be used on trans-Atlantic routes such as New York-Paris, and is seen as a replacement for Boeing’s 757 which is nearing end of life.

Other routes Airbus is pushing the A321LR for include Dubai to Beijing and Singapore to Sydney. These routes are currently served by twin-aisle aircraft but budget carriers will be able to offer cheaper flights using the lower cost single-aisle plane.

The A321LR will undergo 100 hours of flight testing, including transatlantic missions, prior to gaining EASA and FAA Type Certification in the second quarter of the year. Entry into commercial service is scheduled for Q4 2018.