Iberia’s A321XLR Makes First Revenue Flight to Paris

Iberia has successfully completed its first revenue flight with the newly delivered Airbus A321XLR aircraft, marking a significant milestone for the Spanish flag carrier. The aircraft, registered EC-OIL, took off from Madrid-Barajas International Airport (MAD) at 08:18 local time on November 6, 2024, and landed at Paris-Charles de Gaulle Airport (CDG) around 10:00 local time.

The A321XLR, which was delivered to Iberia on October 30, 2024, at Airbus’ Hamburg-Finkenwerder (XFW) factory, features a modern configuration with 182 seats, including 14 in business class. Following this initial flight, Iberia plans to conduct familiarization flights to both Paris-CDG and London-Heathrow (LHR) in early November 2024. The airline has confirmed that Boston-Logan (BOS) will be the first U.S. destination served by the A321XLR.

The A321XLR is designed to efficiently operate thin routes over longer distances, making it ideal for new point-to-point services that connect secondary cities across the Atlantic. This capability allows Iberia to expand its transatlantic offerings and tap into new markets.

Initially, the launch customer for the A321XLR was expected to be Lebanese carrier Middle Eastern Airlines (MEA). However, the first delivery was reassigned to International Airlines Group (IAG), which has ordered 14 units of the new aircraft type. Although Aer Lingus was slated to be the first operator, labor disputes at the Irish airline prompted IAG to transfer the first A321XLR to Iberia.

This acquisition positions Iberia to enhance its service portfolio and meet growing passenger demand while leveraging the advanced features of the A321XLR to optimize operational efficiency on transatlantic routes.

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