On June 15th, Airbus’ newest narrowbody variant, the Airbus A321XLR, successfully
completed its maiden test flight.
Registered as F-WXLR (MSN 11000), the brand-new aircraft took off from Airbus' production
site at Hamburg Finkenwerder Airport at 11:05, performing a 4-hour and 34-minute test flight
over Northern Germany before returning successfully to Hamburg at 15:40.
Commenting on the big achievement, Philippe Mhun, Airbus Executive VP of Programmes, and
Services, said:
"With the A321XLR coming into service, airlines will be able to offer long-haul comfort on
a single-aisle aircraft, thanks to its unique Airspace cabin.
The A321XLR will open new routes with unbeatable economics and environmental performance."
Conducting the first flight was a five-person flight crew: Two pilots, and three Airbus
engineers.
During the flight, the crew tested the aircraft's flight controls, engines, and main systems,
including flight envelope protections at high and low speeds.
Since the Airbus A321XLR was first presented at the 53rd Paris Air Show in 2019, numerous
airlines worldwide have gone crazy over the extra-long-range variant of the very reliable
and ever-popular Airbus A320neo family aircraft.
The still-growing customer list includes international carriers such as Qantas, United Airlines,
and most recently, Air Canada.
To date, Airbus has accumulated more than 500 orders from over 20 customers worldwide,
contributing to the more than 8,000 orders achieved for the Airbus A320neo family.
The European aircraft manufacturing giant dubbed the Airbus A321XLR a 'game-changer'
in the history of narrowbody aircraft.
With a range of 4,7000 nautical miles, the Airbus A321XLR flies 15% further than the
current narrowbody, allowing airlines to successfully service thinly flown long-distance routes
without hefty costs or having to force passengers to fly indirectly through more significant
international hubs.
Such routes could include Miami to Birmingham, New York to Rome, Sydney to Kuala Lumpur,
and even Santiago-Houston; indeed the aircraft would be the lowest risk route opener.
So what gives this narrowbody aircraft such an extended long-range?
The answer lies in Airbus' design of a new rear-center fuel tank molded into the lower
end of the aircraft's fuselage.
Unfortunately, this same design has raised safety concerns within the European Union
Aviation Safety Agency in the event of a post-crash fire due to a belly landing.
As a result, the Toulouse-based manufacturer is having to delay entry into service until
2024 as it works with EASA to resolve issues regarding the fuel tank certification.
Part of this will see it demonstrate that its insulation plan is safe.
As the final version of EASA’s expectations is still unknown, the stricter fire regulations
could delay the estimated entry into service for the Airbus A321XLR even further.
And while Airbus claims it is still too early to speculate about confirmed and ready solutions
when the aircraft had only flown slightly over four hours, the manufacturer also remains
confident that entry into service remains targeted for early 2024.
Are you happy to hear about a successful first test flight for the Airbus A321XLR?
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