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Air India announced
the conversion of 15 of its existing orders for Airbus A321neo aircraft to the
advanced Airbus A321XLR (Extra Long Range) variant. The conversion of
the orders was announced at Wings India 2026.
The conversion is part of Air India’s breakthrough orders placed with Airbus in
2023, with an extra order in 2024, totalling 50 twin-aisle A350 and 300
single-aisle A320 Family aircraft. Of the 300 single-aisle aircraft, this adaptation
to A321XLR applies to 15 of the 210 A321neo aircraft ordered, while the
remaining 90 A320neo remain as initially configured. The deliveries of the 15
A321XLR are expected between 2029 and 2030.
The A321XLR,
the state-of-the-art variant of the widely successful A320neo Family, offers a
range of up to 4,700 nautical miles while delivering extraordinary fuel
efficiency, lower emissions and superior onboard comfort for passengers. This
capability will enable Air India to open new nonstop international routes and
optimize high-demand, medium-haul international services with the flight
economics of a single-aisle aircraft.
The CEO and MD of Air India said: “The strategic conversion of a portion
of our single-aisle Airbus aircraft orders to the A321XLR is in line with our
effort of aligning Air India for the future. While we are accelerating the
conversion of our current fleet with new and retrofitted aircraft, we are also
building our future fleet to serve the rapidly evolving needs of travellers to
and from India. We are pleased with our strong partnership with Airbus, which
continues to support our vision through its commitment to aviation excellence.
Air India's decision to choose the A321XLR is a considerable endorsement of this game-changing aircraft. The A321XLR is a revenue generator by improving incidences, managing seasonality and optimizing capacity on medium-haul routes. Air India, leveraging the XLR’s competencies and range, will open new prospects and strengthen India's connections with the rest of the world.
The two companies are 50:50 partners and have set up a pilot
training centre, inaugurated in September 2025 at the Air India Training
Academy in Gurugram. It has 10 Full
Flight Simulators and will train more than 5,000 new pilots in the next ten
years, supporting commercial aviation growth in the country.
Air India presently has 542 outstanding deliveries of new aircraft out of its
total firm orders for 600 aircraft, underlining its commitment to building one
of the world's youngest and most effective fleets to support India's growing
aviation ambitions.
Since January 2022, Air India has added about 170 aircraft to its fleet, marking considerable progress in capacity expansion and fleet modernization.
Source: Air India
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