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Qantas’ first A321XLR is on the final assembly line ahead of its scheduled April 2025 delivery.
VH-OGA, “Great Ocean Road”, has seen its forward and rear fuselage, wings, and tail assembled among other major airframe components at Airbus’ facility in Hamburg, Germany. It is the first of 28 firm orders for the A321XLR, which will replace Qantas’ 737-800 fleet over the next decade.
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The aircraft will be five metres longer than the 737-800s, with 197 seats split between 20 business and 177 economy, a 13 per cent increase in total seat capacity. The seats will be wider than those on the 737-800, with larger overhead bins and windows.
According to Qantas, the A321XLR’s range will be around 3,000km more than the 737s at 8,700km, with less fuel burn per seat and quieter engines.
“These new aircraft are part of the biggest domestic fleet renewal program in Qantas’ history, which is bringing significant improvements for customers and career opportunities for our people,” Qantas Group CEO Vanessa Hudson said.
“The A321XLR is a fantastic aircraft, which provides a more comfortable flight for customers and the longer range will in time give us the opportunity to explore more non-stop routes and operate them more efficiently.
“New aircraft mean more jobs, training and promotion opportunities for our people and we’ll be training more than 240 pilots on the new aircraft over the next three years.”
VH-OGA is spending approximately a month having its airframe assembled in the Hamburg plant before its engines are fitted and sent to the paint shop, though the tail, as one of the more complex sections, has already been painted.
The Flying Kangaroo has already begun training pilots on the new aircraft type, with Qantas saying it be the first airline in the Asia-Pacific to operate the A321XLR; Spanish airline Iberia last month became the first global operator.
“Nearly half of all the customers Qantas carries each year travel on our 737 fleet, so the A321XLR aircraft that we’ve ordered to replace them will be incredibly important for our future,” Hudson said earlier this year.
“New aircraft mean more jobs, training and promotion opportunities for our people, and we’ll be training more than 240 pilots on the new aircraft over the next three years.
“The A321XLR is a fantastic aircraft to be part of our next-generation fleet, and its range and versatility will give us the opportunity to explore more non-stop routes and operate them cost-effectively.”
