It has finally happened. On the first day of Paris Air Show 2019, Airbus officially unveiled its long-awaited new long-range A321neo, officially designated the A321XLR.

The A321XLR is a further extended range version of the A321neo family, expanding from the capabilities of the A321LR by 15%, which was first delivered earlier this year.

Airbus revealed that the newcomer will have a maximum take-off weight of 101t and a range of 4,700nm compared with the 4,000nm of the current 97t long-range A321LR variant.

According to Airbus, this will enable operators to open new world-wide routes such as India to Europe or China to Australia, as well as further extending non-stop reach on direct transatlantic flights between continental Europe and the Americas.

In order to have better range, the aircraft will be equipped with a new Rear Centre Tank which will hold more fuel than the several optional additional centre tanks which are used on previous variants.

Although initial airline customers have not been disclosed yet, Air Lease Corporation has already confirmed order for 27 A321XLRs. First deliveries are expected already in 2023.