Airlines weigh benefits of Airbus A321XLR against limits at Europe’s busiest airports

On high-demand corridors like London–New York, where competition is intense among carriers including British Airways, Delta Air Lines, United Airlines, Virgin Atlantic, JetBlue, Norse Atlantic, and American Airlines, gaining market share with a low-capacity jet can be difficult. For example, JetBlue has operated its A321neos on this route but has faced challenges sustaining service between London Gatwick and New York-JFK despite offering competitive fares and product quality. Data from the US Department of Transportation shows British Airways leads in passenger numbers on this corridor, followed by other established network carriers.

“Offering multiple frequencies, rather than a single (higher-capacity) widebody flight per day, is often better,” an analysis in Simple Flying notes. “More frequencies are a lot harder to achieve at slot-constrained airports like London Heathrow Airport.”

Network carriers such as United Airlines, American Airlines, and Air Canada have all placed orders for the A321XLR but are expected to continue using widebodies on their busiest transatlantic trunk routes due to demand levels and slot limitations.

There are exceptions where airlines may deploy the A321XLR even at slot-constrained airports if specific market conditions warrant it. For instance, Air Canada has indicated interest in using the aircraft between Ottawa and London Heathrow—a route currently served by larger Boeing 787s—because Ottawa is not a major hub but could benefit from increased frequency with smaller planes if slots can be secured at Heathrow.

“Air Canada… does want to fly the A321XLR to London Heathrow even if it is slot-constrained,” said the airline’s VP of Network Planning and Scheduling in an interview with Simple Flying. “Ottawa to London was on the table for the aircraft type as one of its first routes.”

Overall, while the Airbus A321XLR opens up new opportunities for North American airlines operating in Europe, experts caution that careful route selection will be necessary to maximize its advantages.