PARIS - Airbus made sure when the aviation world had its eyes on Paris, it would volley the first major salvo of the world's largest aerospace expo on its home soil. On the first day of the Paris Air Show, the European giant officially announced the A321XLR single-aisle passenger jet.
Airbus claims that the A321XLR (XLR for "xtra long range") will travel 4,000 nautical miles while burning 30% less fuel than last-gen aircraft from competitors. The aircraft, which measures 146 feet long, with a cabin measuring 113 feet, will hold between 180 and 220 passengers in a typical two-class configuration.
According to Forbes.com reporter Martin Rivers, Lebanon's MEA is poised to be the first customer to purchase an XLR.
With this added range, airlines will be able to operate a lower-cost single-aisle aircraft on longer and less heavily traveled routes – many of which can now only be served by larger and less efficient wide-body aircraft. This will enable operators to open new world-wide routes such as India to Europe or China to Australia, as well as further extending the family’s non-stop reach on direct transatlantic flights between continental Europe and the Americas.
