Airbus has announced that it has begun the first structural production of Airbus A321 Extra Long Range (XLR) aircraft, marking a significant milestone in the Airbus A321XLR program. Airbus has begun assembling the first center and rear fuselage of Airbus A321XLR aircraft, as well as the center rear tank (RTC), in a major component assembly plant in Hamburg, Germany.
The central rear tank (RTC) is a high-capacity fuel tank that uses the lower fuselage of the aircraft at maximum volume. It has a capacity of up to 13.100 liters, which means more fuel than in previous Airbus A321 aircraft.
Airbus has begun structural assembly of the Airbus A321 Extra Long Range (XLR) aircraft.
"It is a major step for the A321XLR program. Teams can be proud of this achievement and the overall speed of industrialization. We are on the right track with our planning. The pilot line dedicated to the A321XLR is ready and waiting to operate the assembly phases for the first test aircraft ", said Martin Schnoor, the manager of the" A321 XLR Program Development Airframe "project.
After the structural assembly phase, Airbus will begin assembling the equipment, which is scheduled to take place in the fall of 2021. The Airbus A321XLR is scheduled to enter the market in 2023.
The Airbus A321XLR aircraft, according to the European aircraft manufacturer, would offer air carriers a range of up to 4.700 nm (8.704 km) and 30% less fuel consumption and CO2 emissions per seat, compared to the Airbus A321 aircraft of the generation previous.