Aer Lingus has taken delivery of its first of six A321XLR aircraft.
Ireland’s flag carrier actually received two Airbus A321XLR on the same day.
Registered as EI-XLR and EI-XLT the aircraft are the first two of six new Airbus A321XLR’s ordered by Aer Lingus. The other four are expected in 2025.
The A321XLR is a single-aisle extra-long-range aircraft flying up to 8,700km, a 15% increase in range compared to the A321LR.
The aircraft will enable Aer Lingus to operate new routes beyond the US East Coast and Canada, with destinations including Nashville International (BNA)and Indianapolis International (IND).
The first flight to Nashville is scheduled for 12 April 2025 and the first to Indianapolis on 03 May 2025.
Nashville flights will take about 8.5 hours and Indianapolis about 9 hours.
Aer Lingus is the second in the world to operate the A321XLR and the second in the International Airlines Group (IAG) after Iberia who started flying the aircraft a month earlier.
Aer Lingus A321XLR cabin
The Aer Lingus A321XLRs feature the Airbus’ Airspace Cabin with larger overhead bins allowing 60% more cabin bags, comfortable seats, the latest technology for in-flight entertainment and acoustic engineering for quieter cabins.
In-seat connectivity is available to all passengers while the latest lighting system enhances the overall passenger experience.
Cabin layout
Aer Lingus A321XLR’s have 184 seats in a two-class layout:
- Business – 16 lie-flat seats in a 2-2 layout
- Economy – 168 seats in a 3-3 layout
Business Class
All 16 seats are fully lie-flat.
Each seat has its own mood lighting, massage function and lumbar support, as well as in-seat power and extra space for personal belongings.
The seats have 18-inch screens with 4k and Bluetooth connectivity, allowing passengers to enjoy a large selection of new release movies, classic films, tv boxsets, and games.
Economy Class
Economy seats have a 30-31 inch pitch and adjustable leather headrests.
Like in the Business Class cabin, there’s a USB-C power connection and space for personal belongings and passengers can enjoy many hours of entertainment on 12-inch screens with 4k and Bluetooth connectivity.
The Airbus A321XLR
The A321XLR is the next evolutionary step of the A320neo Family, responding to market needs for more range and payload, creating even more value for the airlines.
Airbus says it will deliver an unprecedented Xtra Long Range of up to 4,700nm, some 15% more range than the A321LR and 30% lower fuel burn per seat compared with previous generation competitor aircraft, as well as reduced NOx emissions and noise.
As with all Airbus aircraft, the A321XLR is already able to operate with up to 50% Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF). Airbus aims for all its aircraft to be capable of operating with 100% SAF by 2030.
So far, Airbus has secured more than 500 orders for the type.
Suppliers
The aircraft
The aircraft was delivered from the Airbus production site in Hamburg, Germany, on 18 December to Aer Lingus’ home base at Dublin airport, Ireland.
The seats
Business Class seats are from UK-based Thompson Aero Seating.
Economy seats are from the German company Recaro.
Inflight connectivity
Panasonic Avionics is supplying the IFE.
Internet links
Aer Lingus (EI)
