American Airlines Orders 50 A321XLRs

American Airlines is to add 50 Airbus A321XLRs to its fleet, becoming the first U.S. carrier to sign up for the newly launched longer-range A321neo derivate. The purchase agreement includes the conversion of 30 of American’s existing A321neo slots to A321XLRs and incremental orders for an additional 20 A321XLRs, Airbus said on Wednesday at the Paris Air Show.

The airline is gradually renewing its fleet, and in April introduced its first of 100 ordered ETOPS-certified A321neos powered by CFM LEAP-1A engines. Its A321neos are configured with 196 seats and feature the larger Airbus Airspace XL overhead luggage bins. American Airlines is scheduled to have 17 A321neos by year-end and 50 by the end of 2021. At the end of last year, the AA fleet excluding regional partners comprised 956 aircraft including 34 Boeing 757-200s.