Qantas’s first Airbus A321XLR has entered final assembly, paving the way for its delivery in April next year.
The aircraft, to be registered VH-OGA (MSN12323), is the first of 28 A321XLRs that Qantas has on order. It will replace Qantas’ Boeing 737-800s over the next decade.
Qantas will also be the first Asia-Pacific operator of the variant, which entered commercial service in November with Spanish operator Iberia.
Calling it a “significant milestone” in its fleet renewal plans, Qantas says the new aircraft will initially operate domestic flights. There are also plans to operate the type on short-haul international flights.
Qantas’ A321XLRs are configured to seat 197 passengers in two classes, 13% more than its 737s.
“In readiness for the arrival of the first A321XLR, Qantas engineering has received almost 800 pieces of new tooling and pilot training is underway with pilots spending up to 60 hours in the new simulator before stepping into the flight deck,” the Oneworld carrier states.
The update comes about a year after Qantas took delivery of its first A220, the replacement for 717s operated by regional unit QantasLink. The airline will have five aircraft in service by the end of the year.