Aegean Orders A321XLRs to Launch India Routes
Aegean Airlines has announced an additional order for two Airbus A321XLR aircraft, furthering its expansion strategy into long-haul markets with a narrow-body fleet. The announcement, made on July 16, 2025, follows the airline’s March order for eight A321neos and brings its total order book for the A320neo family to 60 aircraft. Of these, 36 will have been delivered by the end of July 2025.
The new A321XLRs are set to be delivered in December 2025 and January 2026 and will be deployed from March 2026 on new direct routes between Athens (ATH) and two major Indian cities—Mumbai (BOM) and Delhi (DEL). Aegean plans to operate five weekly flights to Delhi and three to Mumbai, marking the airline’s first scheduled service to India.
The aircraft will be configured with just 138 seats, offering a premium experience with 24 full-flat Business Class suites featuring direct aisle access, and 114 Economy Class seats. The long-range capability of the A321XLR makes it ideal for connecting Athens with distant destinations in Asia and Africa while maintaining fuel efficiency and cost-effectiveness.
This incremental order underlines Aegean’s continued commitment to using single-aisle aircraft for long-haul operations. In 2024, the Greek flag carrier introduced four A321LRs into its fleet, enabling it to consider launching routes to Bangalore, Seychelles, Nairobi, Almaty, and Lagos. With the additional range of the A321XLR, Aegean now has the flexibility to explore even more far-reaching destinations such as Male in the Maldives, all major Indian cities, and parts of southern Africa.
The airline’s expanding fleet strategy highlights its shift toward a more ambitious international network. By relying on a standardized narrow-body platform, Aegean can optimize fleet operations while entering underserved or developing long-haul markets without the financial overhead of traditional widebody aircraft. This positions the airline as a nimble player in the increasingly competitive mid-haul to long-haul segment.
With 18 A321neos, four A321LRs, and now two A321XLRs still to be delivered, Aegean is poised for a significant network expansion over the coming years, with India at the forefront of its next growth phase.
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