Iberia launched their first transatlantic Airbus A321XLR flight, with the aircraft taking off from Madrid at 12:35 with service to Boston on Thursday, November 14, 2024.
On Wednesday (November 13, 2024), Iberia announced the launch of their first transatlantic Airbus A321XLR flight with service between Madrid (MAD) and Boston (BOS). The inaugural flight took to the skies at 12:35 on Thursday, November 14, 2024, and touched down in Boston at 15:20 (all times local). With Thursday’s flight, Iberia became the global launch customer for the aircraft type. The Airbus A321XLR has a range of up to 7,500 kilometers, and offers fuel savings of over 40 percent compared to widebody aircraft. Iberia’s new A321XLR can accommodate 182 passengers, with 14 Business Class and 168 Economy Class seats, and features the comfortable Airspace cabin. Following the Boston Launch, Iberia plans on deploying the new aircraft to Washington D.C.
In Wednesday’s announcement, Iberia’s President, Marco Sansavini, said,
“We are very proud to be the first airline in the world to start flights with the A321XLR. This is a real milestone in the aviation industry. This new aircraft model allows us to strengthen our network and plan to fly to new destinations in an efficient and comfortable way for all our customers.”
Also commenting on the launch of A321XLR passenger revenue service, Airbus Commercial Aircraft’s CEO, Christian Scherer, said,
“It is fantastic to see the newest member of the Airbus family preparing to take off on its first transatlantic commercial flight in Iberia colours. Routes such as Madrid-Boston demonstrate the strategic value that the A321XLR brings to the long-haul market. We are proud to play a key role in Iberia’s expansion plans with this game-changing aircraft, whilst providing its passengers with unrivalled comfort in its Airspace cabin.”
In the coming months, Iberia will add seven more A321XLRs, which will enable the carrier to add new long-haul destinations, while increasing capacity on existing routes. Since the aircraft was delivered on October 30th, the aircraft has been making European flights to Paris and Stockholm.
Source: Iberia