Skift Take
Don't be fooled by the modest nature of the A321XLR's Madrid to Paris debut - this plane can fly seriously far with incredible efficiency. Get ready for it to shake-up route networks worldwide.
A seemingly routine flight between Madrid and Paris made aviation history on Wednesday morning. Just after 8:15 am local time, Iberia became the first airline in the world to fly Airbus’ newest passenger airliner.
The A321XLR (that’s Xtra-Long Range) is the company’s flagship single-aisle jet. It builds on the hugely successful A320 program, which is already the cornerstone of fleets at carriers including JetBlue, AirAsia, and easyJet.
The maiden XLR was in the air for a little over 90 minutes on Wednesday, landing in the French capital just before 10 am. The plane will shuttle between the two cities in the coming days for a series of short-haul familiarization flights. These quickly boost the pool of pilots and cabin crew who have worked on the new aircraft and help identify any final snags.
Where Will the X