Airbus shows off new ultra long-haul jet

[reader]

From Bloomberg

Over the past 30 years, Airbus SE has continuously eked out more range from its A321 aircraft, making the model a bestseller as customers pair the economic benefits of a narrowbody airliner with the reach and capacity approaching a widebody jet.

Now Airbus is approaching certification of its latest variant — the A321XLR — which may get sign-off from regulators as soon as this month and will effectively double the range from the original model that entered service at the start of 1994. Airbus plans to showcase the plane, for which it has more than 550 orders, at the Farnborough Air Show.

The XLR’s entry into service, delayed by a year due to the pandemic and concerns about a fire risk from an extra fuel tank, pushes its range to 4,700 nautical miles, or 11 hours of flight. It’s a radius that promises to take single-aisle planes to destinations that were previously the domain of fuel-guzzling twin-aisle planes, changing the operating calculus for carriers that ordered the plane.

Icelandair has ordered 13 XLRs to replace its aging fleet of the out-of-production Boeing Co. 757, which has a shorter maximum range of about 3,900 nautical miles. The XLRs, which burn 30% less fuel than its predecessors, will let the carrier add destinations in California, Texas, Dubai and across Europe, its chief executive officer said. 

“In many cases we are competing with a widebody aircraft, which are not as fuel efficient and not that environmentally friendly,” said Bogi Nils Bogason. “So that is definitely an advantage and we see opportunities for us in that respect.”

 

 

[Keithambrose]

3 hours ago, reader said:

From Bloomberg

Over the past 30 years, Airbus SE has continuously eked out more range from its A321 aircraft, making the model a bestseller as customers pair the economic benefits of a narrowbody airliner with the reach and capacity approaching a widebody jet.

Now Airbus is approaching certification of its latest variant — the A321XLR — which may get sign-off from regulators as soon as this month and will effectively double the range from the original model that entered service at the start of 1994. Airbus plans to showcase the plane, for which it has more than 550 orders, at the Farnborough Air Show.

The XLR’s entry into service, delayed by a year due to the pandemic and concerns about a fire risk from an extra fuel tank, pushes its range to 4,700 nautical miles, or 11 hours of flight. It’s a radius that promises to take single-aisle planes to destinations that were previously the domain of fuel-guzzling twin-aisle planes, changing the operating calculus for carriers that ordered the plane.

Icelandair has ordered 13 XLRs to replace its aging fleet of the out-of-production Boeing Co. 757, which has a shorter maximum range of about 3,900 nautical miles. The XLRs, which burn 30% less fuel than its predecessors, will let the carrier add destinations in California, Texas, Dubai and across Europe, its chief executive officer said. 

“In many cases we are competing with a widebody aircraft, which are not as fuel efficient and not that environmentally friendly,” said Bogi Nils Bogason. “So that is definitely an advantage and we see opportunities for us in that respect.”

 

 

The XLR received European certification  on the 19th July. Very exciting. Launch customer  was to be Aer Lingus, but they have a dispute with pilots, and I think it will now be Iberia. They have over 500 orders already.

[reader]

2 hours ago, Keithambrose said:

The XLR received European certification  on the 19th July. Very exciting.

It is. This could be an ideal fit on some long haul routes that carriers often discontinue on a seasonal basis. It complements the A350 Ultra Long Range (ULR) which I've flown on numerous occasions

[Keithambrose]

15 hours ago, reader said:

It is. This could be an ideal fit on some long haul routes that carriers often discontinue on a seasonal basis. It complements the A350 Ultra Long Range (ULR) which I've flown on numerous occasions

Yes, I am hoping to do London to Sydney,  non stop, when that starts.

[reader]

Here the Airbus websites for this new version of the A321 XLR and the A350 ULR that has a max range of 9,700 nautical miles.

https://aircraft.airbus.com/en/aircraft/a320/a321xlr

https://www.airbus.com/en/newsroom/news/2018-10-the-ultra-long-range-a350-xwb-brings-key-destinations-closer-together-with

[omega]

I'm not sure about spending 11 hours in a narrow body plane though... that might give me pause for thought when booking.

[vinapu]

3 hours ago, omega said:

I'm not sure about spending 11 hours in a narrow body plane though... that might give me pause for thought when booking.

my thought exactly

4 hours ago, Keithambrose said:

Yes, I am hoping to do London to Sydney,  non stop, when that starts.

I noticed that with age I like better  to break my long range flights somewhere on the way as sitting 15 hrs  in the same seat seems too tiring

[thaiophilus]

6 hours ago, vinapu said:

my thought exactly

I noticed that with age I like better  to break my long range flights somewhere on the way as sitting 15 hrs  in the same seat seems too tiring

Don't sit, recline!

Or stroll down to the bar:

[vinapu]

I rater spent that money on deserving but poor boys