Qantas unveils first Airbus A321XLR, opening up new routes
Qantas will be one the first airlines in the world to fly this new extra-long range aircraft, with some exciting new international routes on the cards.
Airbus has unveiled Qantas’ new extra-long range narrow-body aircraft for the first time, which will open up new domestic and short-haul international routes from Australia.
The national carrier will be the fifth airline in the world and the first in the Asia Pacific region to operate the Airbus A321XLR.
news.com.au joined Qantas chief executive Vanessa Hudson to view the airline’s first A321XLR at Airbus’ factory in Hamburg, Germany. The plane will land in Australia in June.
Ms Hudson described the moment as “transformative” for the company and a “phenomenal step forward”.
“The capability of this aircraft should not be underestimated. They are an incredible asset,” she said.
The plan is for the Airbus A321XLR to gradually replace Qantas’ Boeing 737 fleet over the next decade.
The A321XLR has been designed specifically to hold extra fuel and take off with that fuel – and can fly approximately 3000km further than the Boeing 737. The XLRs can fly to between any two points on the Australian mainland, and beyond.
After the first aircraft arrives in June, another six are expected to be delivered by June 30 next year.
Two potential new routes for the aircraft include Perth-Malaysia and Perth-India.
“The key thing for us is that we will put the aircraft where the demand is and we’re investing a lot in the Perth terminal, so the Perth terminal will give us the ability to have a domestic and international network and fleet that flies out of one terminal,” Ms Hudson explained.
“And that’s going to be something that comes online in the next three to four years so we’re hoping to see that will be an opportunity for the XLR to then have a base in maybe Perth and unlock those routes.”
A potential Adelaide-Singapore route also got a mention, which is significant given Qantas does not currently fly internationally from the South Australian capital.
But we won’t be seeing any new route announcements just yet.
Ms Hudson said they would need about 15 to 20 XLRs before that happens.
“That’s a couple of years, it’s not too far away. The fleet will get to about 20 XLRs by the end of 2027,” she said.
Ms Hudson couldn’t confirm where exactly the first aircraft she laid eyes on in Hamburg on Monday would fly after it arrived in Australia in June.
“It will fly a combination of routes. It won’t be on one dedicated route,” she said.
“It will quite possibly be doing lots of return flights on Sydney-Melbourne or Sydney-Brisbane or Sydney-Perth, but then it could take one of those routes into Indonesia from Sydney or Melbourne.”
The current 737s operate across the airline’s domestic network, trans-Tasman routes as well as to short-haul international destinations like Bali, Fiji and Vanuatu.
A new cabin experience
The economy seats in the A321XLR are wider than the 737 at 17.6” and the overhead space for luggage is bigger.
There is no seatback entertainment system, but there will be “fast and free” Wi-Fi.
“Every single customer on the aircraft will have overhead space,” Ms Hudson said.
She said not only will it “give customers satisfaction of carrying a bag,” boarding will “flow much faster”.
Another key selling point is that the aircraft is quieter and will generate less carbon emissions per seat.
There will be 177 economy seats in a 3-3 configuration and 20 business seats in a 2-2 configuration, which is an increase on the 12 business seats currently on the 737.
Mammoth behind-the-scenes effort
The A321XLR is built across four countries – France, the UK, Spain and Germany. The final assembly is then in Hamburg, Germany and Toulouse, France.
It takes about one year to manufacture and three months for the final assembly, but the first aircraft does take longer.
Qantas will be only the fifth airline in the world to fly the A321XLR. Spanish airline Iberia was the first airline to get the aircraft in October last year.
There are 28 A321XLR on order for Qantas and 12 for budget airline Jetstar, which expects to receive its first aircraft in 2027. The configuration of the Jetstar aircraft is yet to be determined, including how many economy seats (and their size) and whether there will be any business class seats.
There are many options for an airline to consider when ordering, including 16.7 million mood lighting options.
Airbus has more than 500 orders and more than 20 customers for its A321XLR aircraft, including United Airlines, American Airlines, Air Asia and Vietjet Air.
Replacing the Boeing 737s
The Boeing 737 fleet is getting a makeover despite long-term plans to be replaced by the A321XLRs.
The first of 42 refurbished aircraft is expected to start flying from 2027.
The upgrade includes new business seats, new economy seats, larger overhead storage, new carpets, sidewalls and mood lighting – as well as free Wi-Fi.
“As we bring more new aircraft into our fleet, we are also making our existing aircraft look and feel like new,” Ms Hudson said when announcing the refurbishment in February.
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