Airbusone of the largest manufacturers of civil and military aircraft, will put into service a new state-of-the-art jewel: the brand new A321XLR, an aircraft for transatlantic flights that will debut Spanish airline Iberia. Until now, narrow-body aircraft could only fly to short- and medium-haul destinations. But the latest generation of aircraft aspires to revolutionize long-haul flights: this plane is capable of travel distances of up to 8,700 kilometers with a single corridor.
The A321XLR model offers airlines the opportunity to open new non-stop routes or to enter those markets where current single-aisle aircraft do not reach, and where it is not yet profitable to use wide-body aircraft. Iberia has been the airline chosen to launch this new model, which will allow it strengthen your long-haul network.
“It is a narrow-body, single-aisle aircraft, like those we now use for short-haul trips, but with sufficient autonomy to fly long-haul,” underlines Marco Sansavini, CEO and president of Iberia, about the XLR. «With this plane, we will strengthen our network in an innovative way, as we will be able tocarry out transoceanic trips with a plane narrow body, that is, with a single hallway –he continues–. It is also more sustainable, consuming around 30% less per seat compared to models from wide body».
This translates into several advantages. The A321XLR not only provides more aircraft with the range for transoceanic travel; Its dimensions also make the use of the fleet is more efficient, according to the variable demand of each of the markets. “Due to its size and efficiency, it will allow us to reach some destinations that would otherwise be unreachable,” says Sansavini.
In the case of Iberia, it will be used to strengthen the airline’s network of destinations with a special focus on America. After carrying out the medium-haul routes, which are mandatory whenever a new aircraft is received, the first long-haul destinations to which Iberia passengers will travel on this new model will be: predictably, Washington and Boston.
The Airbus aircraft also offers a series of innovations that have to do with the customer experience. The first of them – as we have mentioned – is the possibility of making long-haul flights with a single-aisle aircraft, “and all this offering a premium service at the same level as that enjoyed in models wide body like the A330 or A350 in the Iberia fleet,” the company says.
Large trunks and 4K screens
This model has 182 seats in Business and Economy cabin configuration, and will include various improvements that offer greater comfort to customers, among which stand out more spacious trunksSpecifically, they will have a storage capacity of up to 60% more hand luggage. Another notable advance is that they will have six different lighting modes in the cabins or a modern panel at the entrance to the aircraft.
In the case of the Business cabin, the A321XLR will have 14 individual seats with windows and direct access to the aisle. In addition, the seats will offer “maximum comfort,” the airline reports, as the seats are full-flat type that converts into a bed, have a large leather backrest for the head, compartments for personal items and a structure that “offers great comfort and privacy.
In addition, the seats will have a 18-inch single screen with 4K quality, which will provide more sharpness in the image and with better tones in dark mode, according to reports. And each seat will have its own lighting system, which can be individually regulated to adjust the light to the desired environment. The seat number will also be backlit during night mode, so the passenger can find their location more easily if they have to get up during the flight.
Also, as with the rest of the long-haul fleet, the A321XLR will have connectivity so that all customers can connect to the free WiFi service for messaging throughout the flight.
The first A321XLR is scheduled to be added after the summer, and Iberia will receive seven additional aircraft of this model in the following months to expand its network of destinations and increase capacity in the cities to which the airline currently flies.