Slim-bodied, single aisle seats and extra-long range: Inside Iberia’s game-changing aircraft

Iberia's new Airbus A321XLR has business class seats that face inwards

The future of long-haul flying is just around the corner. Think single-aisle interiors in narrow-bodied planes, longer flights, and better fuel efficiency.

The new next-generation aircraft, manufactured by Airbus, shows promise.

Spanish airline Iberia had the honour of being the first commercial carrier to use the new A321XLR yesterday, taking off from Madrid on a seven-and-a-half-hour flight to Boston.

The new Airbus A321XLR is a comfortable experience for passengers

Inside the plane, the new Airspace cabin reveals 182 seats distributed across two classes.

Due to their single-aisle configuration, the cabins feel a little more personal, akin to a private jet.

The roomy overhead compartments allow for 60 per cent more capacity for hand luggage than most aircraft.

If you fancy a quick beverage, the galley boasts great tech, including an espresso machine that can make a cup of coffee in under 35 seconds.

Across the aircraft, there are four bathrooms, including one that’s for exclusive use by business passengers. These all put hygiene first with antibacterial surfaces, motion-sensor taps, and pedal-operated waste bins.

Airbus A321XLR business class: 4K TVs and flat-bed seats

In business class, you’ll find 14 individual seats, which boast a wide leather headrest and can be turned into fully flat beds.

As you’d expect from the higher-priced ticket, there are plenty of compartments for you to conveniently store your personal belongings, and each seat boasts its own lighting system so you can pick your desired ambience.

You can also enjoy crystal-clear viewing of the in-flight entertainment on your individual 18.5-inch screen with 4K resolution.

And, if you happen to be on a red-eye flight, you won’t need to be clambering around trying to find your seat as your seat number is backlit on night flights.

What’s more, Iberia serves a lovely Spanish tapas course to its business passengers, featuring classics such as manchego cheese, quince paste and Iberian jamon, according to The Points Guy.

Airbus A321XL economy class: Adjustable headrests and reclining seats

The economy cabin’s 168 seats also feel top-class, with seats that comfortably recline up to 10 cm.

Plus, you can watch the latest film on an individual 12-inch, 4K resolution screen that’s integrated into each seatback.

Airbus A321XLR: All passengers get to be fully charged and connected while on board

Gone are the days of relying on the airline’s cheap wired earphones: whether you’re travelling business or economy class, you can connect your own Bluetooth headset.

You can also charge as you fly, with enhanced USB Type-A and Type-C charging points in both cabins. Likewise, seat tables have been thoughtfully positioned to make it easy to use your electronic device, and you can stay connected to your loved ones by accessing complimentary WiFi in all classes.

The Airbus A321XLR is 'fuel efficient' and boasts longer range

The ‘XLR’ part of the plane’s name stands for ‘extra-long range’ - and that’s for good reason: the narrow body and configuration means that it boasts a range of up to 7,500 kilometres (4,000 nautical miles). This, in part, is thanks to an extra fuel tank.

While other commercial airlines have been using the wider-bodied A321LR to fly between Western Europe and the United States for several years, the plane’s limited range has always restricted its choice of Atlantic routes, something which the new ‘slimmer’ A321XLR now solves.

This plane is also considered the most efficient on the market, as it has the potential to use 30 per cent less fuel per seat than previous-generation aircraft.

“This is a real milestone in the aviation industry. This new aircraft model allows us to strengthen our network and fly to new destinations in an efficient and comfortable way for all our customers,” said Marco Sansavini, president of Iberia.

When will other airlines be flying the Airbus A321XLR?

Over the next 15 months, Iberia will add seven more planes of this model to its fleet so that it can fly even more transoceanic routes.

Flights from Madrid to Washington Dulles are expected to begin mid-January 2025, with a journey time of nine hours and 40 minutes.

But Iberia won’t just be the only European airline where you will see this game-changing plane.

A whopping 550 A321XLR have been ordered by commercial carriers, including Aer Lingus and the low-cost airline Wizz Air.

While Aer Lingus plans to launch its new fleet addition with an eight-hour and 30-minute flight from Dublin to Nashville in April, Wizz Air is due to launch its new aircraft with two new seven-hour routes from London Gatwick and Jeddah in March, and Milan to Abu Dhabi in June.