Air India converts part of A321neo order to A321XLR variant

Air India has converted 15 of its existing Airbus A321neo orders to the A321XLR variant, becoming one of the latest airlines to select the long-range version of the A320 family.

The conversion was announced on 29 January on the sidelines of the Wings India 2026 event in Hyderabad. The 15 aircraft were originally part of Air India’s order for 210 A321neo jets within a broader single-aisle commitment to Airbus.

The A321XLR is designed to fly routes of up to 4,700 nautical miles. Air India said the aircraft will be used on international services where demand supports longer stage lengths but does not require widebody capacity.

The revised order remains part of Air India’s large Airbus deal announced in 2023 and expanded in 2024, which includes 300 A320-family aircraft and 50 A350 widebodies. Following the conversion, the airline still has 195 A321neo aircraft and 90 A320neo aircraft on order. Deliveries of the 15 A321XLR aircraft are scheduled for 2029 and 2030.

Air India received type certification for the A321XLR’s predecessor variants earlier in its fleet renewal program, while the XLR represents the longest-range member of the A320neo family. The model is intended to operate medium- to long-haul routes using a single-aisle platform.

Air India did not disclose specific routes planned for the aircraft. The airline is undergoing a multi-year fleet renewal and expansion following its privatization in 2022, with hundreds of aircraft on order across narrowbody and widebody categories.

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