Probably by the end of this summer we´ll be welcoming a revolutionary new long-haul aircraft – which in fact will be making its world debut in our country. The A321XLR is the latest variant of the A321 Neo family, and the XLR stands for “extra long range” (although initially we´ll be putting it through its paces on medium-haul route to begin with). So here´s a look at this cutting-edge model and what it brings to commercial aviation.
Both More Sustainable & More Comfortable
At first glance, perhaps the most striking thing is that although it´s designed for long-haul, this is a narrow-body aircraft, with only one aisle rather than two or more, as is usual in long-haul models). This is one of its great innovations, and the reason it can do this is because its range has been increased by 15 percent compared to the A321LR (which is 7,400 kilometres/8,093 miles), so the A321XLR can fly without refuelling for up to 8,700km (9,514 mi.).
This innovation also improves the environmental performance of Iberia’s fleet. Narrower aircraft burn 30 percent less fuel per seat than the previous generation aircraft, which would be, let’s say, direct competition for this one. We also manage to reduce nitrogen oxide emissions and noise pollution, and as a bonus, it makes long-haul routes more viable from an economic point of view.
At the same time, the A321XLR also means an improved passenger experience Normally, single-aisle aircraft tend to cover short or medium-haul flights, and the space available for seats is smaller than for long-haul aircraft for obvious reasons (there are more flight hours and greater comfort is required). Well, Airspace, the cabin of the A321XLR, is designed to offer an optimal travel experience, very similar to that of traditional long-haul aircraft.
With 182 seats divided between business class (14) and economy (168), the A321XLR will have Bluetooth connectivity for both spaces, USB ports and free Wi-Fi. It also has the latest model from Recaro (manufacturer of Airbus seats), the CL3810, an evolution of the seats currently used in long-haul aircraft, which allows a four-inch inclination and has leather headrests. It also includes tables so that passengers can comfortably place their devices.
The cabin also has overhead bins which allow for up to 60 percent more luggage, and is equipped with six different lighting configurations. In other words, it will have premium features on par with wide-body aircraft (i.e. those with more than one aisle).
Other Features
Among the other (minimal) changes made to tweak the efficiency of the A321XLR:
- A new rear central tank which allows for loading a larger quantity of fuel.
- Configuration of the wing trailing edge flaps to maintain the same takeoff performance and engine thrust requirements as the A321 Neo.
- Landing gear which boosts the maximum take-off weight.
In addition, as we mentioned above, the cabin can accommodate a maximum of 182 passengers, which is just over half of those accommodated by the A350 and approximately two thirds of those in the A330-300 or the A330-200 (our three long-haul models to date). It´s 44.51 metres (146 feet) long; has a wingspan of 35.8m (126 ft.); and has two engines. In a nbutshells, a lighter model with the power and capacity to make transatlantic flights.
The Future of the A321XLR at Iberia
As we mentioned, the first of these aircraft will enter service at the end of the summer, and the first long-haul destinations it will serves will most likely be Boston and Washington DC. Then in the following months, it will be joined by another six of the same model to expand the number of destinations and the frequency of flights. We foresee a bright future for the A321XLR!