It’s coming up to the point where Iberia will formally launch a new aircraft type to paying customers – with them formally taking their new Airbus A321XLR into the air.
It will mark the conclusion of the A321XLR development programme and its transition into commercial flight.
The first flight will take off today – November 14 -, at 12:35. from Adolfo Suárez Madrid-Barajas airport to Boston, where it is scheduled to arrive at 15:20, marking the first time an Airbus A321XLR has completed a commercial transoceanic crossing.
Iberia’s Airbus A321XLR takes notes from its Airbus A350 family, with the Airspace cabin installed. It will feature a two-class configuration – Business and Economy, with a total of 182 seats.
Business Class comprises of 14 Seats in a 1-1 configuration, with direct aisle access. They are based on the Thomson VantageSOLO, which was initially deployed by JetBlue as their “Mint” seat.
The Business Class seats convert into a full flat bed, featuring a large leather headrest, and compartments for personal items.
Each seat has its own lighting system, which can be independently dimmed to adjust the light to the desired ambience. In addition, each seat has its number backlit during night mode to find its location more easily.
Each Business Class seat includes an individual 18.5-inch display with 4K resolution,
Meanwhile in the Economy Cabin, the Recaro R3 debuts for the first time (previously known as the CL3810).
This is in a 3-3 configuration, comprising of 168 seats in the cabin. The seats offer up to four inches of recline for added comfort and are equipped with six-way adjustable headrests and two additional pockets for storing personal items. These seats feature an individual 12-inch screen with 4K resolution integrated into each backrest.
Across the aircraft, passengers can connect their own headphones via Bluetooth and have USB Type-A and C charging ports, suitable for charging laptops. In addition, the seat tables are designed so that passengers can place and use their electronic devices comfortably during the flight.
Like the rest of the long-haul fleet, the A321XLR offers connectivity so customers can access free WiFi service for messaging throughout the flight.
Above your heads, the Airspace XL luggage compartments will be ready for your luggage – with space for up to 60% more capacity
In Quotes
Marco Sansavini, president of Iberia said:
“We are very proud to be the first airline in the world to start flights of the A321XLR. It is a real milestone in the aviation industry. This new aircraft model allows us to strengthen our network and consider flying to new destinations in an efficient and comfortable way for all our customers,”
Christian Scherer, Airbus CEO of Commercial Aircraft, said:
“It is fantastic to see the newest member of the Airbus family preparing to take off on its first transatlantic commercial flight in Iberia colours. Routes such as Madrid-Boston demonstrate the strategic value that the A321XLR brings to the long-haul market. We are proud to play a key role in Iberia’s expansion plans with this game-changing aircraft, while providing its passengers with unrivalled comfort in its Airspace cabin.”
Growth
This is the first of the type – but there will be many more. Iberia is due to induct an additional seven A321XLR aircraft into its fleet, boosting it to eight aircraft.
For the airline, this will allow it to expand its sphere of operation – beyond the USA, and look to “thin and long” routes, boosting the Iberia network, or to add as a “capacity buster” to routes that are filling up its large Airbus A330/A350s – and where slots are available to support this growth.
Considering the aircraft has a range of 4700nm, it opens up a lot of new possibilities.
With a lot of airlines having orders for this new aircraft, a lot of eyes will be on today’s flight – and how other airlines could configure their XLR’s.
We’ll have a lot more on the Economy Class Seat in another post – which represents a big step forward for Recaro too.
Images, Iberia.
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