Aer Lingus takes delivery of its first Airbus A321XLR

Dergam Mousa

6 months ago

Ireland’s Aer Lingus took delivery of its first Airbus A321XLR on Wednesday, becoming the second airline in the world to operate the model, after Spain’s Iberia.

Powered by CFM LEAP-1A engines, the aircraft took off from the Airbus production site in Hamburg, Germany, on 18 December to Aer Lingus’ home base at Dublin airport.

The Aer Lingus A321XLR is configured with 184 seats in a two-class layout featuring 16 full-flat Business Class and 168 Economy Class seats.

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It is the first aircraft in the Aer Lingus fleet to offer passengers and cabin crew the enhanced comfort of Airbus’ Airspace Cabin, featuring XL overhead bins with 60% more storage space compared to previous generation aircraft.

The aircraft will enable Aer Lingus to operate new routes beyond the US East Coast and Canada, with destinations including Nashville and Indianapolis.

The A321XLR will deliver an unprecedented Xtra Long Range of up to 4,700nm, some 15% more range than the A321LR and 30% lower fuel burn per seat compared with previous generation competitor aircraft, as well as reduced NOx emissions and noise.