Qantas has finally revealed the interiors of the upcoming Airbus A321XLR aircraft that are set to join the fleet from 2025, with 20 business class seats up the front and 177 Economy seats down the back.
The Airbus A321XLR will replace the carrier’s ageing Boeing 737 fleet and will offer an elevated flying experience, according to the airline.
The Flying Kangaroo is promising a more comfortable Economy seat “that’s wider than the Boeing 737 seat with extra comfort seat cushioning”, while a “sense of spaciousness in the long cabin with higher ceilings and large windows and a wider cabin than the 737”.
Qantas’ new A321XLRs will also have the largest overhead bins of any single-aisle aircraft that allow for 60 per cent more bags than the 737.
Qantas Group CEO Vanessa Hudson said the arrival of the A321XLR represented significant opportunities for customers.
“Qantas will be one of the first airlines in the world to operate the A321XLR and ahead of the arrival of our first aircraft next year, we’ve started pilot training and finalised the details of the customer experience,” said said.
“Nearly half of all the customers Qantas carries each year travel on our 737 fleet so the A321XLR aircraft that we’ve ordered to replace them will be incredibly important for our future.
“The A321XLR is a fantastic aircraft to be part of our next generation fleet, and its range and versatility will give us to opportunity to explore more non-stop routes and operate them cost effectively.
“The QantasLink A220s and the Jetstar A320neo family already received as part of our Group fleet renewal program are providing major improvements in running cost, network flexibility, passenger comfort and emissions.”
Qantas’ A321XLR is five metres longer than the outgoing 737s and will be configured to seat 197 people (20 business, 177 economy) – a 13 per cent increase across the whole cabin with no reduction in space between seats and a 66 per cent increase in premium seats.
It can fly approximately 3,000km further than the 737 (at 8,700km) and opens up a wider range of direct domestic and short haul international routes (including South East Asia, the Pacific Islands and more).
Qantas will also offer fast, free Wi-Fi allowing all customers inflight to stay connected across multiple devices, as well as the improved Qantas Entertainment App for streaming content to their own device.