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Airbus A321XLR to fly in US from 2024 after delay
Special conditions were approved for the new Airbus A321XLR on Thursday by the United States Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) following concerns that its new fuel tank posed a fire risk. Rival Boeing initially raised the issue in 2021 stating the tank presented "many potential hazards."
The unique field tank was designed to increase the range of the A321XLR but concerns have delayed the introduction of the passenger service to the second quarter of 2024. The FAA stated that the lower half of the jet's main body must be fire-resistant to protect passengers from penetration. Commenting on the decision, Airbus confirmed today that "authorities are applying more scrutiny across the board." They added that the additional measures around the tank will not change the performance of the jet.
The A321XLR is a single-aisle, narrowbody aircraft with a typical two-class capacity of up to 200 passengers.