Aircraft construction – Hamburg – Smallest Airbus long-haul jet completes first flight – economy

Hamburg (dpa) – The aircraft manufacturer Airbus has cleared an important hurdle in the development of its smallest long-haul jet, the A321XLR. On Wednesday, a copy of the type at the Airbus plant in Hamburg-Finkenwerder took off for its first flight, after around four and a half hours the machine landed there again, as an Airbus spokesman said. The aircraft is the new long-haul version of the A321neo medium-haul jet. “XLR” stands for “Extra Long Range”. The model should also be used for long-haul flights on which the demand for tickets is not sufficient for the wide-body jets that are otherwise used. Competitor Boeing from the USA does not offer a model with a similar capacity and range.

The Airbus jet is said to have a range of up to 8,700 kilometers thanks to an additional fuel tank in the fuselage behind the wings and an optional additional tank. This allows the machine to cover distances across the Atlantic without stopping. In a typical two-class configuration, it should offer space for 180 to 220 passengers.

Airbus boss Guillaume Faury had last promised the maiden flight of the A321XLR by the middle of the year. However, he postponed the delivery of the first machine from the end of 2023 to the beginning of 2024 due to difficulties with the approval. According to insiders, this is about fire protection between the additional tank and the cabin. The European aviation authority Easa had previously criticized this point. Airbus faces the challenge of not making the aircraft heavier with improved fire protection. A higher weight could reduce the range.

© dpa-infocom, dpa:220615-99-674645/4

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