Qantas Takes Delivery of its First Airbus A321XLR

Qantas Airways of Australia is poised to be the inaugural operator in the Asia-Pacific region for the latest generation of the single-aisle A321XLR, following the delivery of its first aircraft from the Airbus assembly facility in Finkenwerder, Hamburg.

Demonstrating the extended range capability of the A321XLR, the aircraft is travelling from the Airbus facility to Sydney with only one crew rest stop in Bangkok. Flight QF6041 flew from Hamburg to Bangkok, making history as the longest A321XLR flight operated by a commercial airline at more than 9,600 kilometres. The aircraft then continued on from Bangkok to Sydney, a journey of over 7,600 kilometres, and touched down at Sydney Airport on Wednesday morning shortly after 10 am. The total journey from Hamburg to Sydney took 42 hours door to door, with 21 hours of flying time.

The Qantas A321XLR, powered by Pratt & Whitney GTF engines, features a two-class configuration, comprising 20 Business Class seats and 177 seats in the main cabin. Initially, Qantas plans to operate the A321XLR on domestic routes within Australia, with potential future expansion to new services on secondary routes to Asia.

The Qantas Group has committed to acquiring 40 A321XLR aircraft to advance its fleet modernisation efforts, with 28 aircraft allocated to Qantas and 12 to its low-cost subsidiary, Jetstar. This order is part of the airline's existing agreements with Airbus, which include a total of 128 single-aisle aircraft and 24 A350-1000 widebody aircraft.

The A321XLR signifies the next evolutionary step in the A320neo Family, meeting market demands for extended range and increased payload, thus providing airlines with enhanced flexibility and value.

In typical airline operations, this aircraft offers the longest range among single-aisle models, capable of reaching up to 4,700 nautical miles. Additionally, it delivers a 30% reduction in fuel consumption and carbon emissions compared to competitor aircraft from previous generations. To date, Airbus has secured over 500 orders for this model.

The Airbus A321XLR, consistent with all Airbus aircraft, is presently configured to operate using up to 50% Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF). Airbus is committed to advancing its aircraft capabilities to utilise up to 100% SAF by 2030.