American Airways Has Taken Supply Of Its 1st Airbus A321XLR & It is Already Grounded

American Airways has reportedly taken possession of its first Airbus A321XLR (Further Lengthy Vary) narrowbody plane. Nonetheless, the plane will stay in Europe resulting from provide chain points associated to a scarcity of seats, based on a report by Bloomberg. Easy Flying has requested American Airways for remark.

American Airways has 50 Airbus A321XLR plane on order. Notably, the primary supply, registered as N300NY, was anticipated to reach quickly after the airline’s A321XLR accomplished its maiden take a look at flight at Airbus’ facility in Hamburg-Finkenwerder, Germany, in March 2025.

Reported Scarcity Of Seats

The already delayed Airbus A321XLR will face additional setbacks to its entry into industrial service with American Airways, though the airline has formally taken possession of its first A321XLR. In a remark to Bloomberg, American Airways mentioned that the plane will stay in Europe “till ongoing seat provide chain challenges are resolved.” The airline declined to disclose the seat producer.

The service’s new A321XLRs are configured to accommodate 155 passengers in a three-class cabin format: 20 in enterprise class, 12 in premium economic system, and 123 in economic system class, as per ch-aviation fleets knowledge.

The airline positioned its hefty order for A321XLR plane again in 2019. With the longest vary of any single-aisle industrial jetliner, the A321XLR will allow American Airways to boost its product on premium transcontinental routes and develop into new secondary markets in Europe.

Different Orders For The A321XLR From US Carriers

American Airways shouldn’t be the one US service with Airbus A321XLRs on order, United Airways and JetBlue Airways have additionally dedicated to the plane. Like American, United positioned an order for 50 A321XLRs again in 2019, aiming to modernize its fleet by changing growing old Boeing 757-200s and to assist an growth of transatlantic service from key US hubs, together with Newark/New York and Washington, DC.

Within the current information, United Airways confirmed that the primary supply of the Airbus A321XLR will as soon as once more be delayed. Throughout United Airways’ earnings name on June 17, 2025, Government Vice President and Chief Monetary Officer (CFO) Michael (Mike) Leskinen responded to a query about whether or not any A321XLR deliveries would happen this yr, stating merely, “none this yr.” Chief Business Officer Andrew Nocella added that the plane are actually anticipated to reach “in the summertime of 2026,” with out specifying the precise month.

In the meantime, JetBlue Airways ordered 13 Airbus A321XLRs by changing 13 current A321neo orders in June 2019. In accordance with a December 2024 report by FlightGlobal, the airline expects to obtain its first A321XLR within the autumn of 2025. Nonetheless, the precise supply date stays unsure, and the timeline may very well be pushed again additional given the problems with the worldwide provide chain.

Frontier Walked Away From A321XLR Deal

Frontier’s curiosity within the Airbus A321XLR happened in June 2019 when it introduced that its current order for 18 A320neos can be transformed to 18 A321XLRs. Nonetheless, in 2024, Frontier Airways introduced that it had canceled its plans to amass the extremely anticipated Airbus A321XLR.

Nonetheless, cost-saving measures and the A321XLR not fairly dwelling as much as its expectations have persuaded Frontier to drop the narrowbody jet solely. It has since doubled down on the Airbus A321neo narrowbodies, changing almost 20 orders that have been initially for the marginally smaller A320neo. At current, Frontier Airways has a complete of 153 A321neos on order, as per ch-aviation knowledge.

It’s value noting that solely 4 operators worldwide have obtained the A321XLR, together with Iberia (the launch buyer of the sort), Aer Lingus, Wizz Air (the primary airline to obtain the PW-powered A321XLR), and Australia’s Qantas.