Airbus announces imminent delivery of first A321XLR with Pratt & Whitney engines

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Airbus announces imminent delivery of first A321XLR with Pratt & Whitney engines

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By Sky Industry News

Jan 12, 2025

Christian Scherer, CEO of Airbus' Commercial Aircraft division, has announced that the delivery of the first Airbus A321XLR with Pratt & Whitney engines to Wizz Air is "imminent." This statement was made during a briefing on January 9 and reported by FlightGlobal. The announcement also coincided with the release of key figures for the full year of 2024.

The A321XLR is being introduced across Airbus' customer base. Iberia received the first A321XLR in October 2024, followed by Aer Lingus in December. Wizz Air, which has ordered 47 A321XLRs, expects its first delivery between February and early March 2025. The airline chose Pratt & Whitney PW1100G-JM engines for its fleet back in 2016.

Iberia and Aer Lingus have already received their aircraft powered by CFM International Leap-1A engines. The European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) certified the A321XLR on July 19, 2024, initially approving commercial operations only with CFM International Leap-1A engines. Similarly, the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) certified the aircraft but also only with Leap-1A engines.

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The version of the A321XLR equipped with Pratt & Whitney engines is still pending full certification from EASA and FAA. Although type certification for Pratt & Whitney's GTF engines has been granted by FAA, final approval for the aircraft itself is awaited from both regulatory bodies.

Wizz Air plans to launch its first route using the new aircraft from London Gatwick International Airport to Jeddah King Abdulaziz International Airport on March 31, 2025. CEO Jozsef Varadi commented: "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."

A second route connecting Milan Malpensa Airport and Abu Dhabi International Airport will begin daily flights on June 2, 2025. The A321XLR boasts an extended range of up to 4,700 nautical miles and promises a lower fuel burn per seat compared to previous generation aircraft.

This extended range capability allows airlines to operate longer routes typically served by widebody aircraft but at reduced operational costs due to its narrowbody design.