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It took off for the first time on its initial certification flight the brand new Airbus A321XLR, the plane with which Airbus seeks to change the distance a single-aisle aircraft can fly. Airbus press photo
Virtually no competitors in this segment, Airbus hopes to advance in the certification process of this new aircraft in the shortest possible time, meeting all the requirements of the EASA and also the observations that it will make at the time Boeing Regarding the safety of the additional fuel tanks that were added in the XLR to fulfill its long mission of longer flights.
The first Airbus A321XLR took off
The first A321XLR (Xtra Long Range) from Airbus has successfully made its first flight. The aircraft, MSN 11000, took off from Hamburg-Finkenwerder Airport at 11:05 h CEST to perform a test flight that lasted approximately four hours and 35 minutes. The aircraft's crew consisted of experimental test pilots Thierry Diez and GabrielDiaz de Villegas Giron, as well as by test engineers Frank Hohmeister, Philippe Pupin and Mehdi Zeddoun. During flight, the crew tested the flight controls, aircraft engines and major systems, including flight envelope protections, both high and low speed.
Philippe Mhun, Executive Vice President of Airbus Programs and Services, declared:
«This is an important milestone for the A320 family and its customers around the world. With the entry into service of the A321XLR, airlines will be able to offer long-haul comfort on a single-aisle aircraft, thanks to its exclusive Airspace cabin. The A321XLR will open new routes with unbeatable economics and environmental performance». Entry into service is scheduled for early 2024.
The A321XLR is the next evolutionary step in the Single Aisle Aircraft Family. A320neo, that meets market requirements to increase range and payload, creating more value for airlines by enabling economically viable services on longer routes than any comparable aircraft model.
Characteristics
The A321XLR will offer unprecedented single-aisle aircraft range of up to 4700 nm (8700 km), with a fuel consumption per seat a 30% minor compared to previous generation aircraft, as well as a reduction in NOx emissions and noise. At the end of May 2022, the A320neo Family has accumulated more than 8.000 orders of more than 130 clients all over the world. Orders for the A321XLR amounted to more than 500 of over 20 customers.
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Obviously for Boeing it is a nightmare not to have created a replacement for the Boeing 757-200 for transatlantic routes and without a doubt that with this variant of the Airbus A321XLR it surpasses the A321Neo and LR in performance. Boeing does not have an opponent for the Middle Size Market.
Precisely because of the demand regarding the safety of the extra fuel tank that Boeing has presented, It will take a few years, as I read a few weeks ago, for the aeronautical authorities to certify this revolutionary plane and make sure that what Boeing alleges is not true..
That's the beauty of the certification process, Lets clarify all these doubts.