Airbus fails to meet A321XLR delivery plan
Touted as a ‘revolution’ in international air travel, the A321XLR is still a promise from Airbus even almost six months after the delivery of the first aircraft.
The planemaker had until recently only delivered five of these planes capable of flying 4,700 nautical miles (8,700 km) non-stop.
Iberia, which received the first A321XLR, took delivery of two more jets at the end of March, one of which is still parked. Aer Lingus, also part of the IAG Group, had received two aircraft last December.
Despite the small fleet, there are at least 31 A321XLRs in various stages of production at Airbus’s facilities in Hamburg, Germany.
Of these, three made their maiden flights in recent weeks, all configured with Pratt & Whitney GTF engines (PW1133GAR-JM).
The turbofan was only recently approved for the A321XLR, but its customers expected to receive the first aircraft in the first quarter.
Wizz Air, for example, had scheduled the aircraft’s debut for March 31, on a flight between London (Gatwick) and Mecca (Jeddah), but ended up postponing the inaugural flight until April 10.
Airbus ended up not delivering the A321XLR until now, which led the carrier to start service with A321neo aircraft with fewer seats sold to allow for nonstop flights.
Another airline that postponed the arrival of the jet was Qantas, also a customer of the GTF engine. Previously scheduled for April, the debut of the A321XLR was postponed until June.
Supply chain issues persist
The new delays are a result of ongoing difficulties for suppliers to supply aircraft manufacturers with components.
The situation has left many aircraft coming off the assembly line incomplete, awaiting delayed parts.
Airbus says it has more than 500 A321XLRs on order, and some customers are eagerly awaiting deliveries.
Airlines with the most aircraft in advanced production include Qantas (seven jets), American Airlines (7), Wizz Air (6), Aer Lingus (4), Air Canada (2) and Iberia (2).
With its significantly lower operating costs than widebodies, the A321XLR will be an important asset for carriers in times of tight profit margins.
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Ricardo Meier
Creator of the website that started in 1996 as a magazine. He also writes on Brazilian websites AUTOO, MOTOO and MetrôCPTM.
