First Airbus A321XLR Delivery Expected in Second Half of October, Airline Reports

Airbus’ first delivery of the A321XLR, its longest-range narrowbody jet, is expected to be delayed until October, missing the manufacturer’s initial delivery targets by several weeks.

A representative from Iberia, a Spanish airline, confirmed that the delivery is now scheduled for the latter half of October. Airbus directed inquiries about the delivery timeline to the airline. Previously, the company had anticipated deliveries to occur “at the end of the summer,” after earlier indicating they would happen in the third quarter.

The A321XLR’s upcoming delivery from Hamburg marks a significant point in the ongoing rivalry between Airbus and Boeing to satisfy demand for aircraft capable of serving longer routes with narrowbody jets. Launched in 2019, the A321XLR aims to enable airlines to open new routes without the need for larger wide-body aircraft. Meanwhile, Boeing is working on a larger variant of its 737 family, known as the MAX 10.

Originally, the debut A321XLR was intended for Aer Lingus, Iberia’s sister airline, but was reassigned to Iberia by their parent company, IAG, earlier this year amid uncertainties stemming from a recent strike by Aer Lingus pilots. This uncertainty has also affected the aircraft’s appearance, with one plane seen in Aer Lingus colors but featuring an Iberia logo on its engine cover during testing.

Airbus claims to have sold over 500 of the newly certified A321XLR models, although they did not provide specific details regarding the airlines that purchased them.

IAG has not yet responded to requests for comments concerning this situation.