Airbus has introduced a long-range (4,000-nm) version of its A321neo single-aisle airliner as it squares off against Boeing in the lucrative low end of the airliner market. The neo is Airbus’s next-generation version of the A320 series, which goes head to head with Boeing’s 737 MAX, which currently has a projected range of up to 3,800 nm. Both are used mostly on short- to medium-haul routes but Airbus says its new aircraft will be a true trans-Atlantic platform that will open new routes for airlines that do not fly wide-bodies. “The longer haul single-aisle market is a lucrative one that the A321neo will now dominate,” said Airbus CEO John Leahy.
First customer for the longer-legged A321 was Steven Udvar Hazy’s Air Lease Corporation, which has ordered 30 of them. Airbus A321s go the extra range by adding a belly fuel tank and increasing the maximum takeoff weight to almost 214,000 pounds. The standard seating configuration will allow 206 passengers in two classes. Airbus hopes to deliver the aircraft starting in 2019.
