A321XLR: A fuel tank comes in the way!

Touted as a game-changer that could see single-aisle long-haul travel, the A321XLR has hit a roadblock in the form of its additional fuel tank that was to be fused directly into the fuselage. The aircraft could now see a delay in the entry for service. An insight into the developments.

A Airbus finally officially confirmed what the industry knew for a very long time- a delay in the entry of service of the much-fancied A321XLR to early 2024. The delay essentially stems from regulators insistent on Airbus changing some design elements to prevent the risk of fire under certain conditions. “On the A321XLR, the company continues to work towards a first flight by the end of Q2 2022," said Airbus in a statement and added, “Initially planned for the end of 2023, the entry-into-service is now expected to take place in early 2024 in order to meet certification requirements.”

Airbus' answer to the Boeing 737-10, the A321XLR is Airbus' newest jet announced in 2019 and is at present the longest range narrow-body plane in the world. In simple terms, it is really an A321neo with additional fuel tanks to provide for the longer range. This simple ruse, though, is a game-changer for airlines giving them the flexibility to operate point-to-point flights up to a range of 4,700 nautical miles, serving thinly flown long-distance routes profitably — that were previously impossible without a hub and spoke operation or big wide-body jets.