The Airbus A321XLR has been one of the most hotly anticipated commercial aircraft in recent years, with the plane seen as emblematic of the modern trend that has seen airlines prioritize smaller and more efficient jets for their longer sectors.
After an extensive flight testing program, the type finally entered service last year, and a second operator has also since put it into regular use. Using current fleet data made available by ch-aviation, let's see which carriers have ordered the most A321XLRs.
IndiGo
Low-cost carrier IndiGo is the largest airline in India by passenger numbers and fleet size, with the latter of these metrics set to grow considerably in the coming years.
Indeed, the carrier has a whopping 926 aircraft on order according to ch-aviation's data, with 69 of these being examples of the AirbusA321XLR. These will join 585 units of the standard A321neo, which forms the basis for the A321XLR.
IndiGo's 69 planned A321XLR planes formed part of a wider 300-aircraft order that the carrier placed in October of 2019.
This huge purchase also saw the airline add Airbus A320neo and A321neo to its order book, but the A321XLR, which can reach most of Europe and Africa and all of Asia from IndiGo's Indian homeland, was arguably the most exciting component of the order.
As Simple Flying reported in June of 2022, the airline was considering adding business class seats to these jets.
"We were believers in IndiGo from day one and are thrilled to be able to perpetuate this most fruitful partnership. IndiGo has brilliantly demonstrated the relevance of the A320neo for leading low cost operators, and the A321neo and the A321XLR provide our operators with the logical next step in cost efficiency, passenger comfort and market coverage." - Christian Scherer, Chief Commercial Officer at Airbus
United Airlines
As a potential game-changer in 21st-century long-haul aviation, the Airbus A321XLR has received considerable admiration from all facets of the airline industry.
This is evidenced by its diverse order book that, as well as including low-cost carriers such as IndiGo as discussed above, also features full-service and legacy operators such as United Airlines. The US-based carrier has ordered 50 A321XLRs.
United Airlines placed its 50-aircraft order for the Airbus A321XLR back in December of 2019, at a time when rival Boeingwas working to overcome the grounding period that applied to its competing 737 MAX narrowbody series after two similar fatal crashes.
As Simple Flying reported at the time, the combined list price of these aircraft exceeded $7 billion, and deliveries were expected to start in 2024.
However, this never came to pass, with United Airlines since confirming in October of 2024 that its first example of the Airbus A321XLR will instead arrive in 2026, two years later than was initially planned.
In terms of the exact specifications of the units that will serve United Airlines, the Star Alliancefounding member has selected Pratt & Whitney's GTF engines and Panasonic's Astrova IFE system for the jets. It will also reportedly fit a premium economy cabin onboard the narrowbodies.
American Airlines
United Airlines' aforementioned order for the A321XLR came six months after fellow US 'big three' legacy carrier American Airlines placed an identical order for 50 units of the type back in June of 2019.
This followed speculation that American Airlines would replace its Boeing 757 twinjets with the A321XLR, and, as Simple Flying reported at the time, 30 of the 50 units were converted from A321neo orders.
Much like at United, premium economy was also touted as a potential feature of American Airlines' Airbus A321XLRs, with the oneworldfounding member later revealing that its premium product onboard the type would be known as the Flagship Suite.
The airline was hoping to be able to fly its Airbus A321XLRs to Europe as early as the 2023 - 2024 winter season, but this never came to pass.
Henning Greiser, American's Head of International Network Planning, expressed considerable excitement concerning the forthcoming arrival of the Airbus A321XLR.
Indeed, he stated that "the A321XLR will open up markets that we wouldn't be able to serve otherwise - new cities and niche destinations that will really work well with our network. Through our hubs, we'll be able to create many one-stop connections that don't exist today." AA's first A321XLR has since been spotted in Hamburg.
Wizz Air
Returning to the low-cost sector, ch-aviation's current fleet data shows that European budget giant Wizz Air has 47 examples of the Airbus A321XLR on order. 44 of these aircraft will be for Wizz Air itself, with the remaining three split one-apiece between Wizz Air Abu Dhabi, Wizz Air Malta, and Wizz Air UK.
Airways Magazine recently reported that Wizz's first A321XLR had been spotted testing in Hamburg, following news that the first A321XLR delivery to Wizz was said to be imminent.
Wizz Air revealed in October of 2022 that it would be configuring its A321XLRs in an all-economy configuration with space for 239 passengers onboard, and using them on flights up to eight hours in length.
India was touted as a potential destination for these, although Wizz Air has no intention of flying the type on transatlantic routes.
In the end, for its first route with the type, it chose London Gatwick Airport (LGW) in the UK to Jeddah (JED) in Saudi Arabia, with CEO József Váradi stating that:
"The Airbus A321XLR is the most cost-efficient aircraft in its class... We are excited to offer unbeatable fares to our customers on the new route from London Gatwick to Jeddah. Since establishing our base at London Gatwick in 2020, we have demonstrated ambitious growth, making it a natural, strategic decision to operate our first Airbus A321XLR from this airport."
Air Canada
While American Airlines and United Airlines have placed orders for 50 units apiece when it comes to the Airbus A321XLR, fellow North American legacy carrier Air Canadaisn't far behind.
Indeed, the Canadian flag carrier and Star Alliance member has 30 examples of the type in its current order book, according to present fleet data made available by ch-aviation. Pratt & Whitney will provide the engines.
Air Canada is reportedly planning to configure its Airbus A321XLR aircraft in a two-class configuration that is able to accommodate a grand total of 182 passengers, with this figure consisting of 14 business class seats and 168 in economy class.
As of May 2024, the Canadian flag carrier was expecting to be able to receive its first example of the type in the fourth quarter of 2025. Speaking to Simple Flying at the time, Mark Galardo, Air Canada's EVP of Revenue and Network Planning, explained:
"Think of a route like Montreal to Toulouse that we started [in 2023]. The A330 is a bit big, so we can’t get the frequency level that we want in the winter and the A330 is probably too big in the summer. You put an A321XLR there, and then you take that A330 to go and do something else."
Qantas
Australian flag carrier and oneworld founding member Qantas is another example of an airline that is expecting to receive its first example of the Airbus A321XLR in 2025.
According to data from ch-aviation, the carrier currently has 25 units of the type on order, and training for its launch began last year. It was also around this time that Qantas confirmed that the cabin configuration would feature:
- 20 business class seats with a 37-inch pitch in a 2-2 layout.
- 177 economy class seats with a 30-inch pitch in a 3-3 layout.
Last November, the excitement surrounding Qantas' order for the Airbus A321XLR reached new levels, when it was revealed that the first example had reached the final assembly line.
Then, in February, it left the Hamburg paint shop with a full livery.
Qantas Group CEO Vanessa Hudson is looking forward to welcoming the Airbus A321XLR into the Australian flag carrier's fleet, and she explains that:
"The A321XLR is a fantastic aircraft to be part of our next-generation fleet, and its range and versatility will give us the opportunity to explore more nonstop routes and operate them cost-effectively. The QantasLink A220s and the Jetstar A320neo Family already received as part of our Group renewal program are providing major improvements in running cost, network flexibility, passenger comfort and emissions."
Two airlines have already received their first Airbus A321XLRs
As well as covering the carriers that have placed large orders for the Airbus A321XLR, it is also briefly worth covering the pair of operators that have already received the type.
The first of these was Spanish flag carrier Iberia, which took delivery of its first example last October.
It entered service the following month on a flight from Madrid Barajas (MAD) to Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport (CDG), with its first long-haul destination being Washington Dulles (IAD) in the United States.
Meanwhile, Irish flag carrier Aer Lingusgot an early Christmas present when its first two examples of the Airbus A321XLR came onboard in December of 2024.
Flying out of the airline's main hub at Dublin Airport (DUB) in the Republic of Ireland, Nashville and Indianapolis have been earmarked as early destinations for the type, as Aer Lingus uses the A321XLR to reinvent its US network.
