The new Atlantic high-flyer
On January 31, Airbus presented its latest version of the A321, which has been successfully in service for years, in Hamburg Finkenwerder.
The A321LR has a range of 4,000 miles with CFM engines. This enables airlines to open up new long-haul routes with this compact jet for around 200 passengers, where the use of a wide-body aircraft is not economical. And there are plenty of such routes.
"We are evaluating the use of such an aircraft for our route network to Africa, for example," Swiss International Air Lines CEO Thomas Klühr told Connoisseur Circle. AUA CEO Kay Kratky can also imagine the A321LR. "For routes to the US East Coast, for example. We need to check whether the range of the A321LR from Vienna corresponds to the distance. But our Lufthansa Group is taking a very close look at this aircraft, which could have a lot of potential".
For TAP Air Portugal, Norwegian, Aer Lingus, Primera Air, Air Transat and Azores Airlines, these jets are already fixed in the fleet planning. TAP expects the first A321LR with an increased MTOW (Maximum Take Off Weight) of 97 tons and a third underfloor fuel tank, in November this year. TAP is planning flights to the north of Brazil, including from Porto.
According to Airbus, the A321LR can accommodate up to 206 long-haul passengers in two cabin classes, thus combining the efficiency of a standard fuselage aircraft with the capabilities of a long-haul aircraft. In any case, the prototype completed its maiden flight from Finkenwerder without any problems. The jet's livery, featuring the New York Statue of Liberty and the Eiffel Tower in Paris, already made it clear what the A321LR is capable of. The A321LR now has to complete around 100 hours of flight testing before it can enter service in the fourth quarter of 2018.
More information: www.airbus.com
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