The A321 model, with variants 100/200 and together with the A321neo, A321LR and A321XLR, is part of the Airbus A320 family of aircraft. But before we talk about the A321, let's see some interesting information about the A320 family of aircraft developed by Airbus.
Airbus A320 is a family of twin-engine passenger planes
Airbus A320 is a family of twin-engine passenger planes, standard diameter (single aisle), dedicated to short / medium-haul flight. The family contains 4 models, depending on the flight autonomy and transport capacity: A318, A319, A320, A321. Hint: information about how to recognize Airbus A320 aircraft.
It entered operational service in 1988, being the first passenger aircraft with digital fly-by-wire flight controls. It has become the most popular family of aircraft developed by Airbus. Last fall, Airbus celebrated the delivery of the 10th plane from the A320 family, which arrived in the Middle East Airlines (MEA) fleet.
The A321 first flew on March 11, 1993
The A321 first flew on 11 March 1993. It entered operational service with Lufthansa in 1994. By the end of February 2021, 2249 A321 aircraft had been assembled.
The A321 has become one of the most popular, being found in the fleets of many airlines. It is used for short flights, but also for medium flights. Autonomy and transport capacity have made the A321 one of the most versatile aircraft, with a very good operating / seat cost.
The A321 is about 7 meters longer than the A320
The A321 is about 7 meters longer than the A320 and can carry up to 220 passengers in a simple one-class configuration. The surface of the wings is 128 square meters, 4 meters larger than the surface of the other members of the A320 family.
The new generation A320neo was launched in 2010, being more efficient by 15% -20%. Airbus has kept the same variants, except A318, and A321neo is the option with the largest transport capacity and the best autonomy.
The A320 competes with the B737
It's no secret that the A320 family of aircraft competes with that of the 737 family developed by Boeing. Hint: why does Boeing use the number 7 and Airbus use the number 3 in the name of aircraft?
But Boeing has an advantage of 757, which has a flight range of over 7200 kilometers. The A321neo can carry up to 244 passengers in a class, but the flight range does not exceed 5900 kilometers.
A plus of the new A321neo model is that it can be modified for increased autonomy. This is how the A321LR derivatives and, more recently, the A321XLR appeared. The A321LR has a range of up to 7400 kilometers, while The A321XLR will have a range of up to 8700 kilometers. We can say that the A321LR and A321XLR will be able to operate long-haul courier flights non-stop.
Development of new A321LR and A321XLR models
By developing the new A321LR and A321XLR models, Airbus wanted to offer a direct competitor to the Boeing 757. And in the current context, when most airlines have decided to give up wide-body aircraft, especially those with 4 engines, it clearly led at a market demand for aircraft such as A321LR, A321XLR and Boeing 757. Practically, we are looking for aircraft with a high range, but with a lower transport capacity, which also translates into lower operating costs.
The success of an aircraft is seen in the number of aircraft ordered, produced and actually sold. The first A321 had orders for 1791 units, while the A321neo has firm orders, according to figures presented by Airbus, of 3413 aircraft.
The A320 family became the best-selling aircraft
The A320 family of aircraft became the best-selling, dethroning the Boeing 737, which has a much longer history. Boeing is still suffering from the problems with the 737 MAX, but it will certainly retreat and return in force.
Regarding my experience with the A321, I can say that I flew a few times, especially with Wizz Air and Lufthansa. First Airbus A321ceo Wizz Air and demonstration flight London - Birmingham (Photo / Video). Overall, the comfort on board an A320 family aircraft, especially the A321, is given by the configuration. Wizz Air crammed 230 seats in a single class into the A321ceo, while Lufthansa set up the A321ceo aircraft in 2 classes, with a total of 200 seats. Inevitably, if you have a flight from Romania to one of the most popular destinations in Europe, you will definitely fly with an A320 or Boeing 737 family plane.
Wizz Air has a fleet consisting only of A320 aircraft, while Ryanair and Blue Air have fleets consisting only of Boeing 737 aircraft. TAROM has a mixed fleet, consisting of A320 and Boeing 737 aircraft.
What experiences do you have with A321 planes?