Airbus expects delay of A321XLR

Newsoutlet Bloomberg has been reporting on 3 March 2023 that Airbus is informing customers that its newest variant of the Airbus A321neo, the A321XLR, is delayed. It's expected that the first deliveries of the type to customers is pushed back to at least the second quarter of next year. Several airlines has expressed concerns to the newsoutlet that they think deliveries could slip even further to end 2024 or early 2025. Originally, Airbus expected to deliver the first A321XLR this year. 

The delay is the result of hurdles Airbus is facing securing certification for the A321XLR. This is due to regulators like the EASA and FAA investigating if the manufacturer's fire safety design for the new rear center fuel tank is holding up and that the aircraft is as safe as previous A321s.

Thanks to this new rear center fuel tank, the A321XLR (or A321-200NY) is able to fly 15% further than the Airbus A321LR (A321-200NX), having a maximum range of 8,700 km. This range is sufficient for non-stop flights between Sydney and Tokyo or London to Miami (FL).

Airbus has logged more than 460 orders for the A321XLR, with IndiGo from India being the largest customer with an order for 69 A321-200NYs. Second and third largest customers are American Airlines and United Airlines with 50 orders each.

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