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Article - Airline

Iberia takes delivery of the first Airbus A321XLR

by Jeffrey Teruel - Founder/Editor-Flights in Asia
Published on October 30, 2024

Summary

Iberia has taken the first delivery of the highly anticipated A321XLR from Airbus.



Iberia has taken the first delivery of the highly anticipated A321XLR from Airbus.


The Spain-based Iberia took delivery of its first A321XLR – registration EC-OIL- during a handover ceremony at Airbus' facility in Hamburg, Germany. The new aircraft is the first of eight Iberia expects to take delivery of before the end of 2025.


Iberia's new A321XLR is equipped with 182 seats in a two-class configuration – 14 lie-flat seats (1-1 layout) and 168 Economy (3-3 layout). Powered by two CFM-1A LEAP engines, the aircraft offers a longer range compared with previous generation competitor aircraft with more fuel efficiency.


According to Iberia, the carrier plans to operate the aircraft on a number of regional flights across its European network before trans-Atlantic flights from Madrid to Boston starting in November followed by Washington-Dulles.


In a statement, Marco Sansavini, CEO & Chairman at Iberia, said: “We are very proud to be the launch airline for this new Airbus aircraft. The A321XLR will allow us to reach new destinations, operating transoceanic routes and doing so in a more efficient way.”


“Five years in the making, the newest member of the Airbus family is all set to join its first operator, Iberia,” said Christian Scherer, CEO Commercial Aircraft, Airbus. “The A321XLR will enable countless new non-stop destinations; it truly opens a new chapter in air connectivity. It is another proud “first” for all of us at Airbus in our constant quest to innovate and bring value to our customers. We are pleased to share this special moment with a special customer: gracias y felicidades Iberia.”


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