Australia’s flag carrier Qantas Airways has taken delivery of its first Airbus A321XLR aircraft from Airbus’ assembly facility in Hamburg, becoming the first operator of this model in the Asia-Pacific region.
The next-generation long-range narrow-body A321XLR completed its delivery flight from Hamburg to Sydney with just a single crew rest stop in Bangkok—demonstrating the aircraft’s exceptional range capabilities in practice.
To Launch on Domestic Routes, Expand into Asia
Powered by Pratt & Whitney GTF engines, Qantas’ A321XLR features a two-class configuration with 20 seats in Business Class and 177 in Economy, for a total of 197 seats. The airline plans to initially deploy the aircraft on domestic routes within Australia. However, the launch of new international services to secondary markets in Asia with the A321XLR is also under consideration.
The Qantas Group has placed a total order for 40 A321XLRs—28 of which will be operated by Qantas, and 12 by Jetstar. These aircraft are part of the group’s larger order for 128 single-aisle Airbus aircraft and 24 A350-1000 widebodies.
A321XLR: A New Standard in Long-Range Narrow-Body Flight
The A321XLR is the longest-range variant in Airbus’ successful A320neo family. It can fly up to 4,700 nautical miles (approximately 8,700 kilometres) non-stop, making it the world’s longest-range single-aisle passenger aircraft.
Compared to previous-generation narrow-body aircraft, the A321XLR offers a 30% reduction in fuel consumption and carbon emissions. Airbus has received over 500 orders for the A321XLR to date.
Ready for Sustainable Flying
Like all Airbus aircraft, the A321XLR is capable of operating with up to 50% Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF). Airbus aims to make all of its aircraft 100% SAF-compatible by 2030—a vision that aligns with Qantas’ sustainability goals.
