US airlines are gearing up to acquire their first Airbus A321XLRs, after the Federal Aviation Administration recently certificated the variant of the 4,700nm (8,704km)-range jet powered by CFM International Leap-1A turbofans.
American Airlines and JetBlue Airways each say they expect to receive their first A321XLRs in 2025. JetBlue is more specific, saying it anticipates acquiring the first in autumn 2025 and to close next year with two in its fleet.
United Airlines, meanwhile, has said it expects to receive its first A321XLR in early 2026 and to use the jets to replace its Boeing 757s.
Those three airlines are the only US carriers holding orders for the long-range Airbus narrowbody. The aircraft has been marketed by Airbus as a middle-market jet adept at economically flying long-range routes that connect secondary cities – a mission that had similarly been targeted by Boeing with its out-of-production 757.
Europe’s aviation regulator EASA certificated the Leap-1A-powered A321XLR in July. The FAA followed with its own validation of the aircraft, also only with the Leap-1A, in October. The type entered service on 14 October when Iberia operated an A321XLR from Madrid to Boston.
Airbus is now working on securing certification from EASA and FAA of the A321XLR powered by the competing Pratt & Whitney (P&W) PW1100G geared turbofan (GTF).
That “test programme… is progressing well towards completion of the flight tests and submission of certification documents to EASA by Q1 2025”, Airbus tells FlightGlobal.
While American and JetBlue both say they plan to receive A321XLRs in 2025, which airline is in line to operate the type first remains unclear. Airbus declines to comment.
American holds orders for 50 A321XLRs powered by Leap-1As. United likewise holds orders for 50 of the jets, but powered by PW1100Gs, while JetBlue has ordered 14 A321XLRs with PW1100Gs, according to airline data provider Cirium Diio.
