Hamburg, Germany - Airbus is expanding its production lines in Hamburg for the A321XLR, the newest member of the A320neo family. Airbus plans to deliver the first A321XLR in 2023.
The expansion was justified with the worldwide market success of the aircraft after its launch. Airbus' new extra-long-range single-aisle jet has received more than 450 orders from 23 customers in just half a year.
The expansion in Hamburg creates the basis for an efficient and rapid production ramp-up, said Airbus production manager Michael Schöllhorn. The move is embedded in the planemaker's overall industrial strategy aiming to expand Airbus' global production capacity.
The A321XLR has an additional fuel tank integrated into the fuselage. It helps to extend the range of the aircraft up to 8,700 kilometers (4697,6 nautical miles), which should also make long-haul flights possible from Europe to America or Asia.
The fuselage sections of all A320 family aircraft are manufactured in Hamburg. With the A321LR, Airbus is already delivering a variant of the A320 with an additional range.
During the Singapore Air Show this month, Airbus sales manager François Caudron said he was confident that the European aircraft manufacturer could sell 1,000 A321XLRs over the next 10 years.