The wait is over – Qantas has announced when its extra-long, new aircraft will take to the skies, with the routes now revealed. Words by Shireen Khalil.
Qantas is officially taking bookings from today for its new extra-long range, narrow-body aircraft, the A321XLR, marking a major milestone in the airline’s fleet renewal program.
The national carrier announced the first two A321XLRs, Great Ocean Road (VH-OGA) and Outback Way (VH-OGB), will take to the skies with commercial passengers on Thursday, September 25 on Sydney-Melbourne and Sydney-Perth routes, subject to regulatory approval.
The Airbus aircraft, which is the first in the Asia Pacific region, makes Qantas just the fifth airline in the world to have the A321XLR as part of its fleet.
“The inaugural commercial flight will take off from Sydney for Perth, giving customers the very first taste of the comfort, space and connectivity these aircraft bring,” Qantas Domestic CEO Markus Svensson said.
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The new aircraft will have wider seats, larger windows, fast, free Wi-Fi and overhead bins that allow for around 60 per cent more bags than the Boeing 737 which they will gradually replace over the next decade.
“We know many of our customers have been waiting for the opportunity to fly on-board these new aircraft, just as our teams have been looking forward to flying them,” Mr Svensson said.
“The extended flight range will also enable us to operate these aircraft on both domestic and short haul international routes, including destinations across South East Asia and the Pacific Islands that are not currently viable with our current narrowbody fleet.”
The A321XLR has been designed specifically to hold extra fuel and take off with that fuel – and can fly approximately 3000km further than the Boeing 737. The XLRs can fly to between any two points on the Australian mainland, and beyond.
Qantas’ third A321XLR aircraft, Seven Peaks Walk (VH-OGC), rolled out of the paint shop in Hamburg this month, with the airline expected to take delivery of the aircraft in November.
The A321XLR is built across four countries – France, the UK, Spain and Germany. The final assembly is then in Hamburg, Germany and Toulouse, France. By the end of this financial year, it will have seven of the aircraft type.
It comes as Qantas also revealed it will further expand its A321XLR fleet, increasing its A321XLR order to 48 aircraft. The expansion of the group’s largest ever fleet renewal program will see 16 of its A321XLRs configured with lie-flat Business seats and seat back entertainment screens to serve longer routes, including transcontinental services to and from Perth, and short and medium haul international routes.
A new cabin experience
The economy seats in the A321XLR are wider than the 737 at 17.6” and the overhead space for luggage is bigger.
There is no seatback entertainment system, but there will be “fast and free” Wi-Fi.
“Every single customer on the aircraft will have overhead space,” Qantas chief executive Vanessa Hudson previously told news.com.au.She said not only will it “give customers satisfaction of carrying a bag,” boarding will “flow much faster”.
Another key selling point is that the aircraft is quieter and will generate less carbon emissions per seat. There will be 177 economy seats in a 3-3 configuration and 20 business seats in a 2-2 configuration, which is an increase on the 12 business seats currently on the 737.
Flights are available to book from 9am on September 12 on qantas.com. This article was originally published on news.com.au. It has been published here with permission.
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