For several years, the Airbus A321XLR has been one of the most exciting prospects in commercial aviation. Emblematic of the increasing drive to deploy narrowbody aircraft on longer-range flights, it has seen several key milestones pass in recent months. Despite this, its customers may have to contend with delivery delays.

Waiting a little longer

Earlier today, reporting by Bloomberg suggested that, according to those connected closely to the matter, Airbus A321XLR customers are set to face delivery delays of varying lengths before they can get their hands on the game-changing twinjet. It appears that these will typically amount to a number of months, rather than years.

The projected delays seem to boil down to a culmination of hurdles facing the European planemaker in its quest to get the A321XLR into commercial service. For example, while it is contending with general supply chain issues that have been seen across the industry. These same problems have also affected airlines, with Air India's incoming A350s having to be delivered with Aeroflot cabins as a result.

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A321XLR Giant QR Code Livery
Photo: Airbus

However, Airbus is also facing hurdles that are specific to its A321XLR program. Among the most significant of these are the safety concerns regarding its extra center fuel tank that gives it its game-changing extra range. As Bloomberg reported last year, regulators at EASA have demanded better fire protection for this tank.

The program has already faced delays

The reported delays to the Airbus A321XLR that have emerged today are not the first that the multinational manufacturer has faced. Indeed, in the wake of the European Union Aviation Safety Agency's demands regarding the safety of the center fuel tank's insulation, the planned entry into service was pushed back.

As Simple Flying reported in May last year, this saw the target move from late 2023 to early 2024. Of course, the Airbus A321XLR is far from the only aircraft to face delays in its development, testing, and certification processes. Nonetheless, the company will want to ensure that future delays are kept to a minimum.

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Airbus A321XLR
Photo: Airbus

That being said, Bloomberg's reporting suggests that, according to private Airbus A321XLR customers, some fear that late 2024 or even early 2025 could be a more realistic timeframe. For now, Airbus CEO Guillaume Faury is maintaining that the type remains on track for a second-quarter introduction in 2024. An Airbus spokesperson also confirmed to Simple Flying that this is the case.

Recent milestones

Despite the reported projections of multi-month delivery delays at certain airlines, there have still been several reasons to be cheerful regarding the Airbus A321XLR's milestones in the first two months of 2023. For example, last month, the manufacturer revealed its latest livery for one of its A321XLR test aircraft. This colorful paint scheme features a QR code with a link to exclusive online content.

Meanwhile, last week saw one of the test aircraft conclude rigorous testing in northern Canada. This saw it subjected to extreme cold-weather conditions, and forms a key part of its certification process. As it stands, Airbus has racked up a total of more than 550 A321XLR orders, with these spread across 26 customers.

Sources: Bloomberg, Bloomberg

  • rsz_airbus_50th_years_anniversary_formation_flight_-_air_to_air
    Airbus
    Stock Code:
    AIR
    Date Founded:
    1970-12-18
    CEO:
    Guillaume Faury
    Headquarters Location:
    Toulouse, France
    Key Product Lines:
    Airbus A220, Airbus A320, Airbus A330, Airbus A340, Airbus A350, Airbus A380
    Business Type:
    Planemaker