Starting from today, Airbus will begin its international route-proving campaign of its A321XLR aircraft.
Teased on Social Media…
On their Twitter, Airbus said the following on this yesterday:
“10 days, 100 hours, 1 aircraft non-stop! Tomorrow the #A321XLR will take off on its international route-proving campaign.”
“Will you join us? Watch this space for updates and more! #ScanMeIfYouCan“.
What Does Airbus Hope to Achieve Out of This for the A321XLR?
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For Airbus, this international route-proving campaign will be utilised to show off the capabilities of the A321XLR, to both existing and potential customers.
Off the back of the successes it has had with TAP Air Portugal, JetBlue, and others over the A321LR (Long-Range), the European plane maker wishes to capitalise on those successes.
The A321XLR will offer range of up to 4,700 nautical miles, which is 15% more than the LR variant, and can offer higher take-off weights as well, should customers wish to utilise an optional Additional Centre Tank on top of the added Rear Centre Tank.
On top of this, the Airspace cabin that the plane maker has been advertising over the last few years will form a major foundation to the A321XLR program as well.
The European manufacturer has made significant waves in the development of this aircraft, with the first flight happening on June 15 last year.
From there, followed alongside its international route-proving campaign, entry-into-service is expected by Q2 2024.
Looking ahead, all eyes will be on Airbus over the next 10 days to see how the campaign goes, and what steps are needed to bring this aircraft in the air on a commercial basis.
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