Iberia starts its transoceanic flights this Thursday with Airbus A321XLR
On Thursday, Spain’s Iberia will become the first airline in the world to operate transoceanic routes with the new Airbus A321XLR.
The first flight will take off tomorrow, November 14, at 12:35 a.m. from Adolfo Suárez Madrid-Barajas Airport to Boston, where it is scheduled to land at 3:20 p.m. (local time).
The aircraft has a range of up to 4700 nautical miles, and is positioned as one of the most efficient aircraft on the market, with fuel savings of more than 40% compared to wide-body models. The A321XLR maintains the high standards of comfort characteristic of other long-haul aircraft in Iberia’s fleet such as the A350. It is equipped with the new Airspace cabin and has two classes, Business and Economy, with a total of 182 seats.
With the debut of the new aircraft, Iberia strengthens its long-haul fleet, with a special focus on the Americas. The first destinations to be served by the A321XLR are Boston and Washington DC (USA).
The airline will add seven additional aircraft of this model in the coming months, which will facilitate the possibility of adding new long-haul destinations to its network and increase capacity in the cities it currently serves.
→ Iberia resumes flights between Madrid and Tokyo, Japan
“We are very proud to be the first airline in the world to start A321XLR flights. This is a real milestone in the aviation industry. This new aircraft model allows us to strengthen our network and to consider flying to new destinations in an efficient and comfortable way for all our customers,” said Marco Sansavini, Iberia’s Chairman and CEO.
Since its delivery to Iberia on October 30, the aircraft has been flying to Paris and Stockholm.
In-flight comfort
The A321XLR offers customers the same comfort standards that characterize the wide-body A330 and A350 models in Iberia’s fleet. Its 182 seats are distributed between Business and Economy cabins, guaranteeing passenger comfort.
The Business cabin has 14 individual seats, each with a window and direct access to the aisle. These ‘full flat’ seats convert into a bed and feature a large leather headrest, compartments for personal items and a structure designed to provide comfort and privacy.
Each Business Class seat includes an individual 18.5-inch screen with 4K resolution, offering a clear image and enhanced tones in dark mode. All of this is complemented by the best in-flight entertainment system.
For added comfort, each seat has its own lighting system, which can be regulated independently to adjust the light to the desired ambience. Also, each seat has its number backlit during night mode to find its location more easily.
The Economy cabin features 168 seats of the CL3810 model, manufactured by RECARO, with a unit weight of almost 2 kilograms less than its predecessor. The seats offer up to four inches of recline for greater comfort, and are equipped with six-way adjustable headrests and two additional pockets for storing personal items. A single 12-inch screen with 4K resolution is integrated into each seatback.
All cabins on the new A321XLR allow customers to connect their own headphones via Bluetooth and feature USB Type A and C charging ports, suitable for laptop charging. Like the rest of the long-haul fleet, the A321XLR offers connectivity for customers to access free WiFi service for messaging throughout the flight.
The XL overhead bins are more spacious, offering up to 60% more space for carry-on luggage.
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