These 9 airlines operate the longest narrowbody flights out of Europe

Narrowbody aircraft have long been deployed primarily on short and medium-haul routes due to their range limitations. While their capacity and range have proven the perfect combo on such networks, newer narrowbodies are stretching the limits of the category in terms of their maximum distance.

For example, the newly debuted Airbus A321XLR adds an extra 1,500NM of range compared to the A321ceo, opening up previously inaccessible destinations to operators of narrowbody aircraft. A similar boost in range can be found on the newest Boeing 737 series aircraft, the 737 MAX.

Looking at data from aviation analytics firm Cirium for this year, several European operators will be flying narrowbody routes exceeding 3,300 NM this year. As you would expect, the A321neo and 737 MAX feature heavily in this list, although there are a couple of surprise entries at the end.

1 TUIfly Nordic

Helsinki to Cape Verde, 737 MAX 8

TUIfly Nordic's two longest narrowbody routes are from Helsinki (HEL) to two airports in Cape Verde - Aristides Pereira (BVC) and Amílcar Cabral International (SID). At 3,356 NM (6,215 km), the longest is to Aristides Pereira Airport, which is located on the island of Boa Vista, famed for its beaches.

Helsinki to Amílcar Cabral International measures in at 3,325 NM (6,158 km). Located on the island of Sal, this is Cape Verde's busiest airport accommodating a wider network of flights, also primarily from European airports.

TUIfly Nordic is part of the TUI Group operating a sizable network of holiday destinations around Europe out of a handful of Swedish airports, as well as Denmark, Norway and Finland. The airline operates with a small fleet of three Boeing 737 MAX 8s, as well as a Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner for its longer flights - data from Flightradar24 shows that this Dreamliner has recently been flying to Thailand.

2 La Compagnie

All-business Europe-New York with A321neo

La Compagnie, the French all-business carrier connecting Europe to New York has two routes qualifying for this list, namely Milan Malpensa (MXP) to Newark Liberty International (EWR) and Nice Côte d'Azur (NCE) to Newark Liberty.

Its Milan-Newark route is a year-round service that will see six weekly flights during peak periods, while flights from Nice to Newark will begin in the early summer. The airline has chosen its route network very carefully and has so far managed to make things work, with plenty of other all-business efforts in recent decades ending in failure.

La Compagnie currently operates with just two Airbus A321neos, although it is in the process of doubling its fleet size with two A321LR additions expected within the next two years. The airline previously flew with another narrowbody, the Boeing 757-200, with two airframes it retired in 2019.

3 Aer Lingus

New Dublin-Nashville route with A321XLR

Aer Lingus will operate one of the longest narrowbody routes out of Europe when it launches its new service from Dublin (DUB) to Nashville International (BNA) in April. This will measure in at 3,394 NM (6,285 km) with an expected flight time, according to Aer Lingus' website, of approximately 10 hours and 58 minutes.

Two of the airline's new A321XLRs arrived last month, and the airline expects to receive four more airframes in 2025. The A321XLR will be able to fly with up to 15% more range than the A321LR, offering up to 8,700km range (4,695 NM).

4 Iberia

Madrid to Washington with A321XLR

Iberia's connection between Adolfo Suárez Madrid–Barajas (MAD) and Washington Dulles International (IAD) is due to relaunch in a couple of months and will rank as one of the longest in Europe. This route is 3,316 NM (6,141 KM) and will be served by Iberia's brand-new A321XLR, which can accommodate up to 182 passengers in a two-class cabin layout—14 in lie-flat business and 168 in economy.

The airline decided to suspend flights on this route for the remainder of the winter season, with flights set to resume in early March. Flights will gradually ramp up as the year goes on, with the A321XLR scheduled to fly up to one daily departure during the tail end of the year.

5 Neos

Milan to Zanzibar with 737 MAX 8

Italian carrier Neos has scheduled a Boeing 737 MAX 8 flight of over 3,500 nautical miles to connect Milan Malpensa (MXP) with Zanzibar's Abeid Amani Karume International (ZNZ). This route clocks in at 3,507 NM (6,494 km) and there is just a single narrowbody flight scheduled for this year.

Neos operates a relatively modern all-Boeing fleet consisting of both the 737 and 787. The airline has five 737-800s and five 737 MAX 8s, in addition to six Dreamliners servicing its long-haul routes. Out of its base at Milan Malpensa, the Italian airline serves a wide range of destinations across Asia, Africa, Europe and North America.

6 Scandinavian Airlines (SAS)

Copenhagen to US and Canada with A321neo

SAS tests the range of its Airbus A321neos with its two routes out of Copenhagen (CPH) to Washington Dulles International (IAD) and Toronto Pearson International (YYZ).

Copenhagen to Washington clocks in at 3,540 NM (6,557 km), while Copenhagen to Toronto measures in slightly shorter at 3,395 NM (6,288 km). The A321neo will be deployed on Copenhagen-Washington until the end of March, with flights to Toronto beginning in April.

The A321neo has around 600 NM (1,111km) more distance than the non-stretched A320neo, which explains why they are chosen to operate the two long North American routes out of Copenhagen. Along with the A321neo, SAS has invested in the A320neo with over 40 airframes in its fleet.

7 Air Transat

Two European routes from Canada with A321LR

Canadian carrier Air Transat will use its A321LR fleet for its services between Toronto Pearson International (YYZ) and Berlin Brandenburg (BER) and Montréal–Trudeau International (YUL) to Nice Côte d'Azur (NCE).

Flights to Nice will measure in at 3,318 NM (6,146 km) and won't begin until April through to the end of the summer season. Meanwhile, the A321neo won't connect Toronto and Berlin until June, rising to two daily frequencies until the end of October. The latter route will be the first time Air Transat flies to Germany in over a decade.

Air Transat has modernized its fleet with 19 A321neo airframes arriving within the past five years, helping the airline to phase out its older A321ceos.

The airline's European network kicks in during the summer season, while it serves many sunny destinations in the US and the Americas during the winter. The all-Airbus operator also flies the A330-200 and A330-300 and has a single A320-200 in its fleet.

8 United Airlines

New York to Stockholm with 757-200

United's Boeing 757-200 features on this list with its service from Newark Liberty International to Stockholm Arlanda (ARN). This route measures at 3,415 NM (6,324 km) but won't see 757 service until the middle of the summer.

Starting in June, United will utilize its Boeing 757-200s for the summer rush with up to a daily 757 service before pulling the type in early September. The carrier has a fleet of 40 757-200s, as well as 21 of the longer 757-300 variant, known as the 'Flying Pencil' - it's fair to say these aircraft are advanced in years at over two decades old (the 757-200s are approaching 30 years old).

9 Azur Air

Moscow to the Maldives with 757-200

Russian charter carrier Azur Air is another 757 operator to make this list with its service from Moscow Vnukovo (VKO) to Velana International (MLE) in the Maldives. Azur Air will be flying its 757-200 fleet on this route all-year-round, operating between 8-10 monthly flights.

The carrier has nine 757-200 airframes in its fleet re-registered in the wake of Russia's invasion of Ukraine in early 2022. With an all-economy layout, its fleet can seat up to 238 passengers, while it has one special all-business variant that seats 72 business travelers.