Saudia is first airline in Middle East and Africa to fly A321XLR

Saudia, the flag carrier of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, has taken delivery of its first A321XLR.

The airline is the first in the Middle East and Africa to operate Airbus’ newest extra-long-range single-aisle aircraft.

This aircraft is the first of 15 Airbus A321XLRs ordered by Saudia. All are scheduled for delivery by 2027.

This delivery is a cornerstone of Saudia’s comprehensive fleet modernisation program, supporting the expansion of its international network in alignment with Saudi Vision 2030.

Saudia’s ongoing fleet expansion supports the Kingdom’s aviation and tourism ambitions under Saudi Vision 2030 by increasing global connectivity, enabling tourism growth, and strengthening Saudi Arabia’s position as a global aviation hub.

Cabin layout and passenger features

Saudia is configuring its A321XLRs in a very spacious two-cabin layout with just 144 seats:

Business Class: 24 lie-flat seats in a 1-1 layout
Economy: 120 seats, in a 3-3 layout

Each seat features up to 67W of USB-C direct current power, enabling fast charging for mobile phones, tablets, compatible laptops, and other personal electronic devices throughout all phases of flight.

Saudia is further enhancing the passenger experience by equipping the aircraft with high-speed inflight connectivity for browsing, live streaming, virtual meetings, and access to major entertainment platforms.

The aircraft features the Airbus Airspace Cabin, bringing a widebody experience to a single-aisle jet. Key features include extra-large overhead bins, advanced lighting systems and one of the quietest cabins in its class.

The New Saudia Experience

The aircraft also marks the first delivery to feature core elements of “The New Saudia Experience”, Saudia’s new onboard offering focused on comfort, connectivity, entertainment, dining, and service consistency across the guest journey.

**Business Class has lie-flat seats [Image: Saudia]**

Passengers in the 24 Business Class suites will benefit from Panasonic’s Astrova in-flight ‘engagement’ (IFE) with a 27 inch touchscreen.

They will also enjoy Saudia’s in-flight chef service, offering a personalised dining experience with a selection of Saudi and international cuisine.

Guest Class has a typical 3 x 3 layout, but only 120 seats [Image: Saudia]

Guest Class seats feature enhanced seat design, 13-inch personal entertainment screens, and convenient charging ports to enhance the passenger experience.

Routes

With a range of up to 8,700 kilometers and a flight duration of up to 9 hours, the A321XLR gives Saudia greater flexibility to operate longer international routes with the efficiency of a narrow-body aircraft.

This capability enables Saudia to expand international connectivity more efficiently, aligning aircraft capacity to market demand while maintaining a high-quality onboard experience.

The first routes are planned as:

Jeddah to Madrid, Vienna, Paris CDG, Male, Geneva and Barcelons
Riyadh to Athens and Geneva

How many loos / toilets / bathrooms?

Unknown as Saudia hasn’t yet published a seat plan.

Airbus A321XLR

The A321XLR is the latest evolution of the A320neo Family, designed to meet the global demand for increased range and operational flexibility.

It delivers a range of up to 4,700nm 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 able to operate with up to 50% Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF). Airbus is targeting to have its aircraft up to 100% SAF capable by 2030.

At the end of March 2026, Airbus had secured over 500 orders for the type.

Saudia will be the eighth A321XLR operator, after:

Airline	Cabins	Total seats	Seats by cabin
Saudia	2	144	24 / 120
American	3	155	20 / 12 /123
Iberia	2	182	14 / 168
Air Canada	2	182	14 / 168
Aer Lingus	2	184	16 / 168
Indigo	2	195	12 / 183
Qantas	2	197 or 200	20/177 or 20/180
Wizz Air	1	239	259