JetBlue Airways takes first A321neo(LR)

JetBlue Airways (B6, New York JFK) took delivery of the first of its A321-200NX(LR) on April 29, 2021, after N4022J (msn 10303) was ferried directly from Hamburg Finkenwerder to New York JFK. “The delivery of our new A321LR sets the stage for a new era at JetBlue in which we now have an aircraft allowing us to stretch our wings and become a true global carrier offering flights beyond the Americas for the first time ever,” Chief Executive Robin Hayes said. The carrier plans to use the long-range narrowbody to launch its first-ever transatlantic flights to London later this year. It holds slots for services from Boston and JFK at both London Heathrow and London Gatwick starting in early August 2021, although it has not yet confirmed its plans for services to the United Kingdom. It said news in that regard would be announced shortly. JetBlue’s A321LR is equipped with 24 lie-flat business class Mint seats and 114 economy class seats. JetBlue Airways said in the press release that it was expecting a total of thirteen A321-200NX(LR)s, as well as thirteen A321-200NX(XLR)s. The carrier has ordered a total of eighty-five A321neo in all variants from Airbus, of which it has so far taken deliveries of sixteen A321-200NXs. According to its most recent quarterly report, it planned to take a further two A321-200NX and two A321-200NX(LR)s in the second quarter of 2021. In 2022, it intends to add a further three LRs but no standard variants. Besides its growing fleet of the new-generation Airbus narrowbodies, JetBlue Airways continues to operate 130 A320-200s, sixty-three A321-200s, sixty E190s, and one A220-300, the ch-aviation fleets advanced module shows.