Australian carrier Qantas is patiently waiting for the delivery of its new Airbus A321XLR, which is set to change how the airline connects Australia to the South Pacific and South East Asia.
Rolling out of the paint shop
As captured by Dirk Grothe, the first of 28 Airbus A321XLR on order from Oneworld alliance member Qantas left the paint shop at Airbus Hamburg and will be named 'Great Ocean Road'.
Delivery of the aircraft is expected in April, with the airline undoubtedly wanting to introduce it into scheduled services before the middle of the year. Qantas has already started training its pilots and crew on simulators for the aircraft, with up to 240 pilots already or expected to start training over the next two years.
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An integral part of the fleet renewal program
Qantas has made no secret of its investment in a fleet renewal program; the Airbus A321XLR is just one of many variants on order from Airbus, alongside the hotly anticipated Airbus A350-1000, which is the backbone of the airline's 'Project Sunrise' initiative.
The A321XLR is destined to replace the airline's aging Boeing 737 fleet, and at 16 feet (five meters) longer than its predecessor, the aircraft will be able to offer more seating in both business and economy class for Qantas. With 28 expected to join the fleet over the next few years, the aircraft is at the forefront of innovation and will ensure passengers have more baggage storage, connectivity, better performance, and less carbon emissions than other aircraft.
Qantas A321XLR configuration
As detailed on the airline's website, the aircraft will be fitted with both business and economy class seating, as noted below:
|
Feature |
Business class |
Economy class |
|---|---|---|
|
Seating |
20 seats |
177-180 seats |
|
Layout |
2-2 |
3-3 |
|
Seat pitch |
37 inches (94 cm) |
30 inches (76.2 cm) |
|
Seat width |
25 inches (63.5 cm) |
17.6 inches (44.7 cm) |
|
Seat recline |
Five inches (12.7 cm) |
- |
|
Storage |
Tablet shelf, literature pocket, cocktail table, arm tray table, bottle holder, coat hook, overhead storage |
Tablet holder, literature pocket, meal table, overhead storage |
VH-OGA, named the 'Great Ocean Road'
The aircraft, bearing registration VH-OGA, has already been nicknamed 'Great Ocean Road'; this is to recognize the 150-mile (240-kilometer) stretch of road that runs along the southern coast of Victoria, between Torquay and Allansford, a popular tourist road trip.
According to Airfleets, the registration VH-OGA has been used before. In 1988, Qantas took delivery of a Boeing 767-300ER. This aircraft was first received on August 1st, 1998, and remained part of Qantas and Australia Asia Airlines until November 2009, when it was stored. During its tenure with Qantas, it earned the name 'City of Whyalla'.
The aircraft was eventually sold to Air Transport International and Amerijet International, where it took on registration N316CM. The aircraft has since been retired in July 2024.
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Range of the Airbus A321XLR
Introducing the A321XLR on both domestic and international routes will open many doors for Qantas. As the map below outlines, the A321XLR will enable the airline to reach new destinations from its four key hubs (Brisbane, Melbourne, Perth, and Sydney). An example is from Sydney Kingsford Smith Airport, where when replacing the Boeing 737, the A321XLR can reach as far as Hong Kong, Bangkok, and Jakarta. In contrast, this was beyond the range of the Boeing variant.
From Perth, Western Australia, you can now reach Mauritius, the Maldives, Colombo, Auckland, and Phnom Penh.
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