Qantas Airways will welcome its first A321XLR this week when the aircraft, registered VH-OGA, touches down in Sydney, Australia, after taking off from Hamburg, Germany, on Monday.

The ultra-long-range narrow-body jet is powered by Pratt & Whitney GTF engines, which were only certified a few months ago.

And the Qantas aircraft will soon show off its performance on the ferry flight, covering a distance of 4,776 nm (8,845 km) between Hamburg and Bangkok, Thailand.

Flight QFA6041 took off from Germany at 9am and is expected to be in the air for more than 10 hours.

Qantas A321XLR Economy class render (Qantas)
Qantas A321XLR Economy class render (Qantas)

Aircraft with 197 seats

Qantas will be the launch customer for the A321XLR in the Asia-Pacific region, with 40 aircraft on order.

The airline’s jets are configured with 197 seats in two classes (20 in business class and 177 in the main cabin) and will be used on flights to international destinations in Asia.

As is customary, however, the operational debut will take place on domestic routes, so that flight and ground crews can get to know the aircraft.

Qantas A321XLR Business class render (Qantas)
Qantas A321XLR Business class render (Qantas)

Of Qantas’ 40 A321XLRs, 28 will remain with the main carrier and 12 will be transferred to Jetstar, the Australian group’s low-cost subsidiary.

Thanks to technical modifications, the A321XLR can fly up to 4,700 nautical miles (8,700 km) non-stop, enough performance to replace widebodies on routes where demand is not as high.

A321XLR range map (Qantas)
A321XLR range map (Qantas)