Airbus Upgrades Bestselling A321 Jet to Unlock Long-Haul Routes
- Aircraft set to win certification as soon as this month
- Carriers will use aircraft to serve new destinations
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Over the past 30 years, Airbus SE has continuously eked out more range from its A321 aircraft, making the model a bestseller as customers pair the economic benefits of a narrowbody airliner with the reach and capacity approaching a widebody jet.
Now Airbus is approaching certification of its latest variant — the A321XLR — which may get sign-off from regulators as soon as this month and will effectively double the range from the original model that entered service at the start of 1994. Airbus plans to showcase the plane, for which it has more than 550 orders, at the Farnborough Air Show starting next week.