Qantas’ new extra-long range narrow-body aircraft has finally arrived in Sydney for the first time. It marks the first of its kind in the Asia-Pacific region and makes Qantas just the fifth airline in the world to have the A321XLR in its fleet.
The plane flew from Hamburg, Germany to Bangkok, Thailand, before making its final leg to Sydney on Wednesday morning.
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The Airbus A321XLR is set to gradually replace Qantas’ Boeing 737 fleet over the next decade. It’s been designed specifically to hold extra fuel and take off with that fuel. Plus, it can fly approximately 3000km further than the Boeing 737. Another six aircrafts are expected to be delivered by June 30 next year.
There has been speculation about the new routes ex. Australia. Two potential new routes for the aircraft include Perth-Malaysia and Perth-India. Qantas chief executive Vanessa Hudson commented on the matter.
“The key thing for us is that we will put the aircraft where the demand is and we’re investing a lot in the Perth terminal, so the Perth terminal will give us the ability to have a domestic and international network and fleet that flies out of one terminal,” Ms Hudson explained.
A potential Adelaide-Singapore route was also mentioned, but we won’t be seeing any new route announcements just yet with the XLRs.
“It will fly a combination of routes. It won’t be on one dedicated route,” Ms Hudson said.
“It will quite possibly be doing lots of return flights on Sydney-Melbourne or Sydney-Brisbane or Sydney-Perth, but then it could take one of those routes into Indonesia from Sydney or Melbourne.”
The current 737s operate across the airline’s domestic network, trans-Tasman routes as well as to short-haul international destinations like Bali, Fiji and Vanuatu.
The A321XLR is quieter than a Boeing 737, especially when cruising in the air; and while only slightly wider, Airbus’ clever design highlights that sense of space.
Onboard, you can expect fast Wi-Fi throughout the aircraft. This will be more important than ever on the A321XLR because Qantas has decided these domestic jets won’t come with seatback video screens. The airline’s rationale is that the majority of passengers will bring their own devices, and Qantas’ extensive library of movies and TV shows will still be available via WiFi.
In Business Class, expect 25” wide recliners, with 20 seats arranged in five rows of the familiar 2-2 layout.
Legroom will be the same as on the Boeing 737, with a 37” pitch and 5” recline; other comfort factors include a six-way adjustable headrest plus calf-rest and leg-rest.
Conveniently tucked under the centre armrest of each A321XLR Business Class seat you’ll find USB-A and USB-C power outlets. The latter is rated at 60 watts, for fast-charging phones, tablets and laptops- accompanied with a wireless charging pad further back.
The fleet is expected to get to about 20 XLRs by the end of 2027, which means flying won’t begin until then. Make sure to check out our Qantas Business Class deals to start planning your next holiday! Or chat to one of our airfare specialists to learn more.
