American Airlines executive excited after first sighting of Airbus A321XLR

American Airlines The first Airbus A321XLR was spotted at Hamburg-Finkenwerder Airport (XFW) on Friday. The Fort Worth, Texas-based airline is expected to be the second airline, after launch customer Iberia, to receive the highly anticipated aircraft later this year.

When the new jet was first spotted, American Airlines’ route planner was excited. The airline has high hopes for the aircraft as it looks to fill a gap left after the retirement of its Boeing 757-200 and 767-300ER four years ago.

As seen on the tail

The new A321XLR was spotted being towed at XFW. It is expected to be registered as N470AN, but is far from complete. Its fuselage is only primed and the engines have yet to be fitted. The only obvious identifying feature that it belongs to American is its tail, which is already painted in the aircraft carrier’s abstract US flag design.

Brian Znotins is senior vice president of network planning at American Airlines. The executive reposted a photo of the plane on Friday with a fitting caption.

The optical difference between NEO and XLR

Since American already operates several A321neos and has more on order, some might assume that the aircraft spotted is not the A321XLR. However, the difference between the two variants is small. To allow for extra long range, the A321XLR has a permanent cargo tank in the center of the tail, estimated to hold about 3,400 gallons (12,900 liters) of fuel.

If you look closely, you’ll notice the tank, especially near the doors, directly behind the wings. Unlike the tank on the A321neo, on the A321XLR it extends to under the door. The aircraft is also said to have a reinforced landing gear to accommodate the additional weight of the fuel.

Filling the gap

Despite Znotins’ own excitement, it’s clear that American is desperate to get the A321XLR. The airline had long operated the 757-200, which gave it more flexibility across its network. It also had the 767-300ER, which primarily supported the airline’s international and long-haul network. During the COVID-19 pandemic, American hastily retired the planes, favoring the acquisition of newer 787-8 and -9 Dreamliners as replacements. The airline also prematurely retired its fleet of A330 aircraft that it acquired from US Airways.

Although the airline hoped to receive new 787 models in time, delivery delays have occurred and the shortage of wide-body aircraft has limited the airline’s capacity, particularly on transatlantic routes. The A321XLR could restore capacity, but it is unclear on which exact international routes American will use the aircraft type. In addition, the A321XLR will likely be the next replacement for the 757 series of aircraft.

Photo: Airbus

American has confirmed that the A321XLR will replace the current A321T (Transcon) fleet on premium transcontinental routes. The aircraft will be used exclusively on cross-country flights to Boston, Los Angeles, New York, Orange County and San Francisco. The airline will also introduce a new cabin for the A321XLR. The luxurious interior will include 20 lie-flat seats in Flagship Business Class, 12 Premium Economy seats and 123 seats in the main cabin.

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According to ch-aviation, American has ordered 50 A321XLRs. The aircraft’s delivery date is unknown, but reports from last year suggested that deliveries would begin by the end of this year. Aviation regulator JonNYC said it “I could well imagine that this aircraft will be delivered earlier” February next year, but also indicated that the aircraft would not be operational because “The seats will not be available.”