Airbus has secured US FAA approval to install mini-suites in the cabin of its new long-range A321XLR twinjet, including suites to aid persons with reduced mobility.
The airframer had sought authorisation earlier this year – on behalf of a US operator – having obtained approval for the installations on earlier A321neo variants.
Airbus also stated in its XLR application that it wanted to fit ‘PRM-suites’ on the XLR and other A321neos, in order to assist reduced-mobility passengers with transferring in and out of their seat during boarding, disembarkation and cruise.
The airframer included the PRM-suite request as part of the broader mini-suite application, describing its PRM function as “essentially an add-on feature”.
According to the FAA approval document, the PRM-suites will be co-located with other mini-suites and incorporate a “movable wall in addition to a movable door”.
“When the movable wall is deployed, it is considered a temporary door as it moves into the doorway of the aft adjacent mini-suite,” it adds.
For previous approvals of mini-suite fittings with doors the FAA has required an additional flight attendant to ensure the doors are correctly positioned, and this attendant will also be tasked with deploying and stowing the movable wall on PRM-suites.
This workload is “significant” and has a critical safety element, says the FAA, and its approval to Airbus is conditional on having the additional flight attendant.
