Airbus Launches Longer Range A321XLR, Air Lease Orders 27

Airbus launched a longer range version of its A321neo at the Paris Air Show on Monday and announced an order from Air Lease Corporation for 27.

Airbus said the extra long range A321 will bring 30 percent lower fuel burn per seat than “previous generation competitor aircraft,” and will be available from 2023.

An additional fuel tank plus other changes will extend its range to up to 4,700nm, 15 percent more than the A321LR. Modified landing gear will allow an increase in maximum take-off weight to handle the higher fuel capacity.

Alongside the product launch, Airbus announced firm orders from Middle East Airlines and Air Lease for a total of 31 A321XLRs. Air Lease ordered 27 as part of a larger order of 100 Airbus aircraft, and MEA went for four.

Air Lease chairman Steven Udvar-Házy said his company has had “tremendous success with the A321LR long-range version; now with the A321XLR, we will open a whole new dimension of routes up to nine hours of flight time.”

The additional range means “you could travel from Barcelona to Chicago; from Texas or Florida to anywhere in South America – including Chile, Argentina and Brazil,” Udvar-Házy added.

Airbus is pushing to announce more orders for its new long-ranger in Paris, with American Airlines and Cebu Air reported to be close to deals.