Ahead of the first of 38 Airbus A321LRs arriving at Jetstar, the low-cost airline has unveiled some livery tweaks their new planes will sport and details of the upgraded cabin interiors. In good news for Jetstar regulars, the new planes will feature wider seats, more overhead locker space, in-seat USB power, and flip-down smartphone and tablet cradles.

Jetstar's first A321LR is due soon

Jetstar says the first of their new planes will arrive in Melbourne over the coming months and enter service on domestic routes such as Melbourne (MEL) - Cairns (CNS). The bulk of Jetstar's existing fleet comprises Airbus A320-200 planes. However, the airline also flies a handful of A321-200s and eleven Boeing 787-8 Dreamliners.

The long-awaited arrival of the A321LRs signal a switch to a new generation of planes. Jetstar promises the CFM LEAP engines are "up to" 50% quieter than their comparable aircraft engines and says the NEO's paint job uses a two coat ‘basecoat-clearcoat’ system which is longer lasting and reduces paint weight by up to 30%, resulting in a fuel saving of up to 108 tonnes each year across the whole A321LR fleet and a saving of nearly 350 tonnes of CO2 emissions. Jetstar says that's a fuel efficiency of 15% compared to similar generation narrowbody aircraft.

Jetstar Airbus A321LR
JetSTAR has put 244 seats on its A321neo. Photo: JetSTAR

"These modern aircraft are world-class in terms of performance, comfort, and sustainability, ensuring our customers will enjoy a new range of benefits onboard," said Jetstar's CEO Gareth Evans.

“With the NEOs arriving in our 18th birthday year, their arrival symbolizes how we’ve grown to become the largest and most successful low-cost carrier in the Asia-Pacific region. In addition to flying on our most popular domestic routes, the long-range NEOs open up new international opportunities, providing us with an opportunity to expand our international network and deliver on our promise to offer more low fares to more destinations.”

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Jetstar A321 LR Livery
Photo: Jetstar

New planes open up new horizons for Jetstar

What differences will passengers notice about the fresh look? Jetstar says the A321LRs will feature a unique orange tail and underbelly, and freshly branded wingtips. But passengers may be happier to hear about those USB ports.

Jetstar also provided an update on the delivery timeline on Wednesday. After the first A321LR touches down, the airline expects a further eight to arrive between August 2022 and May 2023. Another nine A321LRs will arrive between mid-2023 and mid-2024. The second tranche of deliveries then commences. A further 20 A321XLR aircraft will arrive between 2024 and 2029, providing Jetstar with a range of new flying options.

A glimpse of the interior of Jetstar's new A321LR aircraft.
Photo: Jetstar

The airline says the NEOs are perfect aircraft for a post-COVID market where they need as much flexibility and fuel-saving in their aircraft as possible. The A321LRs can fly around 750 miles (1,200 kilometers) further than the existing A320/321 narrowbodies. But it is the A321XLRs that will really expand Jetstar's horizons.

Aside from the XLRs' environmental credentials (Jetstar promises a 20% lower fuel burn per seat, 5,000 tonnes less CO2 per year, and a noise footprint that is 50% lower), the post-2024 aircraft have the ability to fly some 5,400 miles (8,700 kilometers) in one hop, opening up a raft of new domestic and international route opportunities.

Simple Flying will keep its eye out for that first Jetstar A321LR heading into Melbourne.