Iberia launches first A321XLR long-haul flights to the US

Spanish carrier Iberia has become the first airline to launch transatlantic flights using new Airbus A321XLR aircraft.

The IAG-owned airline, which is the launch customer for the new single-aisle aircraft, operated its first transatlantic flight from Madrid to Boston on Thursday (14 November).

The Airbus A321XLR, which has a range of up to 7,500 kilometres, is equipped with 182 seats across business and economy cabins. The new aircraft can fly 15 per cent further than the existing A321LR (Long Range) plane.

Iberia’s president Marco Sansavini said: “We are very proud to be the first airline in the world to start flying with the A321XLR. This is a real milestone in the aviation industry.

“This new aircraft model allows us to strengthen our network and fly to new destinations in an efficient and comfortable way for all our customers.”

Iberia will initially use the new aircraft to fly to Boston and Washington DC. Seven more A321XLRs are due to arrive in the coming months, which will allow the airline to add more new long-haul destinations and increase capacity on existing routes.

The carrier said the A321XLR would be “one of the most efficient aircraft on the market, with fuel savings of more than 40 per cent compared to wide-body models”.

Iberia received the first aircraft on 30 October, which has spent its first few weeks flying to Paris and Stockholm before being launched on its first long-haul route.

The business cabin on the A321XLR includes 14 seats which can be turned into fully flat beds and have direct aisle access. They also include an 18.5-inch 4K entertainment screen.

The 168 economy seats offer a recline of up to four inches and a 12-inch 4K seatback screen.

Iberia’s sister carrier Aer Lingus is also due to use new A321XLR aircraft on a new route from Dublin to Nashville starting in spring 2025