The original A320 lost its place as Airbus’ best-selling aircraft in its history. The European aircraft manufacturer’s most successful new jet is the A321neo.
According to Airbus’ June orders and deliveries report, the A321neo now has 5,163 aircraft on firm orders, 400 more than the A320ceo, the company’s first single-aisle jet.
In May, the A321neo had 4,675 orders, adding 488 aircraft to its backlog. Of these, 375 jets were ordered by IndiGo, the Indian airline that closed the largest firm order for single-aisle aircraft during the Paris Air Show.
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There were also 25 orders placed by Mexico’s Volaris, in addition to smaller deals, including 12 aircraft from unidentified customers.
The milestone is not surprising given the performance delivered by the A321neo, which has two very attractive versions for airlines, the A321LR, already in service, and the awaited A321XLR, which should enter into operation in 2024.
Range of 4,700 nm
Capable of carrying up to 244 passengers, the A321neo also offers unrivaled range. If the A321ceo only flew 2,400 nautical miles (which rose to 3,200 nm later), the A321LR can travel up to 4,000 nautical miles or more.
But it is the A321XLR that promises to change the landscape of transcontinental air travel, thanks to its range of 4,700 nautical miles, enough to connect destinations that today only allow the use of expensive widebodies.
The biggest proof of Airbus’ success with the A321neo is the proportion of orders in relation to the successful A321ceo. The new generation has so far sold almost twice as much as its predecessor.
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The A320neo is 450 aircraft behind the A320ceo, which together still dominate Airbus single-aisle aircraft sales with 9,076 units.
The A321 is far behind, with 6,104 jets, but there is little doubt that this mark will also be surpassed in the future.
