Airlines have asked aircraft manufacturers for the same thing for decades: provide them with planes that can fly long distances at the lowest price per passenger. Over the years, Airbus and Boeing have taken different approaches to this problem.

The two-aisle products offered ranged from the double-decker A380 to connect slot-limited hub airports, to the smaller Boeing 787. Despite the options, there was still a gap in the market.

In 2019, Airbus announced a project to develop a single-aisle plane that could fly 5,400 miles. This would allow airlines to fly for up to 10 or even 11 hours with up to 220 passengers – far fewer than regular long-haul jets.

The extra range is made possible by an extra fuel tank added to a special version of the popular A321neo aircraft.

The first A321XLR (ie eXtra Long Range) was delivered to Iberia last month and after familiarization flights across Europethe Spanish carrier operated its first long-haul flight between Madrid and Boston on November 14.

Speaking ahead of the first transatlantic journey, Christian Scherer, CEO of Airbus Commercial Aircraft, said routes such as Madrid-Boston “demonstrate the strategic value the A321XLR brings to the long-haul market”.

From seasonal to year-round

As more XLRs join the Iberia fleet, the company will be able to better optimize seasonal routes. It could also continue to operate seasonal services throughout the year by strategically changing aircraft types.

For example, Madrid-Boston was previously operated with an A330 aircraft, which can carry up to 292 passengers. During the winter, Iberia will now operate the route with the A321XLR with a maximum of 182 passengers. Services from the Spanish capital to Washington DC will also see XLR.

Being the global launch customer for any new aircraft is coveted in the airline industry. The honors went to Iberia after a labor dispute destroyed a previous release at Aer Lingus.

“We are very proud to be the first airline in the world to start flying the A321XLR. This is a real milestone in the aviation industry. This new aircraft model allows us to strengthen our network and fly to new destinations in an efficient and comfortable way for all our customers”, reflected the president of Iberia, Marco Sansavini.

A long-range project

The carrier configures the XLR with 14 Thompson Aero Vantage Solo Business Class seats that convert to 76-inch flatbeds. These are almost identical to the ones JetBlue uses for its European operations, however the Iberia version does not have a privacy door.

Immediately behind are 168 economy seats with at least 30 inches of legroom and 18 inches of shoulder-to-shoulder width.

Iberia does not offer a premium economy cabin for this aircraft. Asked why, Sansavini said the chosen layout addresses the mix of passengers Iberia expects to fly on the routes operated by the plane.

Once Iberia receives more of these state-of-the-art aircraft and is confident in its long-range exploration, expect XLR to go even further. Flights from Madrid to Boston and Washington DC take about seven or eight hours. As the program matures, Iberia will capitalize on the XLR’s potential and bring the aircraft to Latin America.

Is it a comfortable ride?

Skift joined the first transatlantic flight from Madrid to Boston. Although there were no gate celebrations, most people aboard the inaugural long-haul ship were aware that they were flying a new type of aircraft.

Staying in economy for eight hours on a narrow aircraft was a real revelation. Fortunately, Iberia didn’t skimp on the seat padding to reduce weight. The result is a much more comfortable experience than you might expect.

The A321XLR is equipped with overhead bins and there was more than enough room to go for everyone’s luggage. The windows, larger than those on other A320neo family aircraft, ensured enough natural light to fill the cabin.

Panasonic’s in-flight entertainment with a 4K screen worked well. It has an extensive library of content in English and Spanish to suit its customers on both sides of the Atlantic. Passengers can also bring headphones and pair them with the Bluetooth system, although that feature was bugged on the Boston flight.

The meals on board – produced by the acclaimed catering company Do & Co – were delicious. However, the tight single-aisle configuration shows its limitations.

Iberia’s XLR is equipped with the Airbus Space-Flex solution, which halves the space required for transporting meals, reducing the size of the rear galley and replacing it with two toilets. When the airline extends flights to ten hours, passengers may need a second hot meal, and this hinders the ability to do so.

Moreover, with three toilets in the back, passengers had to constantly squeeze between each other. This makes the back seats the least desirable on the plane.

Who else is getting the XLR?

Airlines around the world are examining the Iberia use case as they determine which routes and configurations to put on their own A321XLRs. About 25 carriers have more than 500 aircraft on order, with widely varying layouts and configurations.

For example, Wizz Air, based in Budapest, will be the first low-cost carrier to receive the plane. Wizz plans to configure the 239-seat XLR in an all-economy configuration. Early routes include London Gatwick to Jeddah and Milan to Abu Dhabi.

Elsewhere, Qantas will use the XLR to replace Boeing 737-800s. Given the aircraft’s domestic focus, the Australian carrier is ditching the premium flat-bed seats in favor of a more traditional recliner.

Other confirmed carriers include United Airlines and Icelandair. Both companies will use the XLR to replace the Boeing 757.

IndiGo and American Airlines

By far, XLR’s biggest customer is the low-cost Indian airline IndiGo. The airline is yet to confirm its cabin configuration or route network. However, with the airline the recent launch of a premium seatit would be safe to assume they’re opting for a two-cab configuration. The airline will likely want to fly the planes from India to Europe, Africa, Western Australia and Southeast Asia.

Speaking at the Skift Aviation Forum Earlier this week, American Airlines CEO Robert Isom provided an update on the progress of its XLR plans.

American expects its first delivery in 2025 and will operate them on cross-country routes. As more XLRs come online, the Dallas-based carrier will also explore flying the aircraft to Europe as well as Latin America from Miami.

Regardless of the precise setup, the status music is loud and clear. Airlines of all shapes and sizes are gearing up to use XLR to transform global route networks. The aircraft is likely to herald a new era of greater point-to-point connectivity.

Yes, it can be a shock for customers to fly in a narrow aircraft for up to ten hours. The hope is that it’s a sacrifice passengers are willing to make as a trade-off for greater convenience.

Watch American Airlines CEO Robert Isom at Skift Aviation Forum 2024: