Qantas takes delivery of 1st Airbus A321XLR
Qantas has officially taken delivery of its first Airbus A321XLR. The aircraft, VH-OGA (12323) was handed-over at the manufacturer's plant at Hamburg-Finkenwerder and departed on 30 June 2025.
The delivery flight is setting records as it will be flying non-stop from Hamburg to Bangkok, covering a distance of 9,600 km. It's the longest flight so far for Airbus' newest variant of the A321neo. From Bangkok, it will fly non-stop to Sydney, a distance of 7,400 km. It's expected to arrive there on 2 July 2025.
It's the first of 28 A321XLRs Qantas is planning to welcome into its fleet. The long-range Airbus will be used to gradually replace older Boeing B737-800s in the fleet. It will be predominantly used for domestic and short-haul international flights.
Qantas is currently operating a fleet of 75 B737-800s, so the planned 28 A321XLRs won't cover that. The airline group, however, has open remaining orders for around 100 A320neo-family aircraft. These will be allocated to Jetstar or Qantas closer to the planned production slot based on the airlines' need.
