Airbus A321

Airbus A321
Company type	Commercial aircraft model
Industry	Aerospace
Founded	1994
Headquarters	Toulouse, Hamburg, Mobile, Tianjin, France, Germany, United States, China
Products	Narrow-body, twin-engine jet airliners

The Airbus A321 belongs to the Airbus A320 family, a series of narrow-body, twin-engine jet airliners designed for short to medium-haul flights. As the first stretched variant derived from the original A320 model, it made its commercial debut in 1994, six years following the initial A320 introduction. Pilots certified on any A320-family aircraft can operate the A321 without additional type rating training due to their shared certification.

In December 2010, Airbus unveiled the A320neo, incorporating advanced, fuel-efficient engines and aerodynamic enhancements such as wingtip devices known as Sharklets. The A321neo version accommodates up to 244 passengers, delivers fuel savings of approximately 15%, and features a long-range variant capable of flying up to with a seating capacity of 206.

Final assembly lines for the A321 are located in Hamburg, Germany; Mobile, Alabama, United States; Tianjin, China; and Toulouse, France. By June 2025, Airbus had delivered 3,536 A321 units, with 3,453 actively operating. The backlog includes 5,312 confirmed orders for the A321neo. Among operators, American Airlines holds the largest fleet with 302 aircraft.

Development

The Airbus A321—also referred to as the Stretched A320 or A320-500—marked the first extension of the original A320 series and was officially launched on 24 November 1988 after securing firm commitments for 183 aircraft from ten customers.

Its inaugural flight took place on 11 March 1993, powered by IAE V2500 engines; a second prototype equipped with CFM56-5B turbofan engines followed in May that year. Early customers included Lufthansa and Alitalia, placing orders for 20 and 40 aircraft respectively. Lufthansa received its initial V2500-A5-powered A321 on 27 January 1994, while Alitalia took delivery of its first CFM56-5B-powered model on 22 March 1994. The A321-100 officially entered service with Lufthansa in January 1994.

Assembly of the aircraft was conducted in Germany (then West Germany), marking Airbus’s first final assembly outside France. This decision came after negotiations between French and German stakeholders concerning production costs and efficiency. Subsequently, a second production facility was established in Hamburg, which later also manufactured smaller variants such as the A319 and A318. To finance development, Airbus accessed bond markets raising $480 million (€475 million), supplemented by $180 million (€175 million) from both the European Investment Bank and private investors.

As the largest member of the A320 family, the A321-200 extends beyond , increasing its maximum takeoff weight (MTOW) to . Its wingspan remains consistent across variants but includes various wingtip devices. Engine options for the A321 include CFM International’s CFM56 and International Aero Engines’ V2500 models, each providing thrust ranging between .

Over more than thirty years, the A321 has seen its MTOW increase by roughly 20% from the original -100 model to the extended-range A321XLR. Seating capacity has risen by approximately 10%, reaching up to 244 seats, while its operational range has doubled from initial figures. By 2019, Airbus had accumulated over 4,200 orders for this type—accounting for about one-quarter of all single-aisle aircraft sales by Airbus—including around 2,400 neo variants representing one-third of all A320neo orders.

Design

The Airbus A321 is a single-aisle, narrow-body aircraft equipped with retractable tricycle landing gear and powered by two turbofan engines mounted beneath the wings. It features a low-wing cantilever monoplane configuration and a traditional tail assembly with one vertical stabilizer and rudder. Compared to the A320, the fuselage was extended by inserting a plug both in front of and behind the wing, resulting in a longer airframe. This extension necessitated replacing the A320’s overwing window exits with door exits located before and after the wing. To preserve aerodynamic performance, Airbus incorporated double-slotted flaps alongside subtle trailing edge adjustments, expanding the wing area from 122.4 m² to 128 m². Additionally, reinforcements were made to the central fuselage and landing gear to accommodate an increased maximum takeoff weight (MTOW) of 93.5 tonnes.

Variants

The primary distinctions between the A321ceo and A321neo families lie in cabin configurations and fuel system options.

- The A321-100 is available with a single fuel setup. - The A321-200 offers up to three fuel configurations, supporting as many as two auxiliary fuel tanks (ACT) positioned in the aft cargo compartment. - The standard A321neo provides four fuel arrangements, including the option for one ACT in the forward cargo hold plus two in the aft; the three-ACT configuration is marketed as the A321LR (Long Range). - The A321XLR presents two fuel configurations, allowing for one ACT in the forward cargo area.

A321ceo & A321neo family variants
Marketing name	Cabin	Fuel config		Fuel capacity	Cargo
		Front	Rear
A321-100 CFMI	STD	—	—	18,880 kilograms (41,620 lb)	10*LD3-45
A321-100 IAE	STD	—	—	18,605 kilograms (41,017 lb)	10*LD3-45
A321-200 CFMI	STD	—	—	18,880 kilograms (41,620 lb)	10*LD3-45
	STD	—	1ACT	21,330 kilograms (47,020 lb)	9*LD3-45
	STD	—	2ACT	23,780 kilograms (52,430 lb)	8*LD3-45
A321-200 IAE	STD	—	—	18,605 kilograms (41,017 lb)	10*LD3-45
	STD	—	1ACT	21,055 kilograms (46,418 lb)	9*LD3-45

A321-100

The initial A321-100 variant offered a shorter operational range than the A320 because it lacked supplementary fuel tanks despite its increased weight. Its maximum takeoff weight is rated at 83 tonnes. Introduced into service by Lufthansa in 1994, production totaled approximately 90 units, with some later upgraded to the A321-200 standard.

A321-200

Designed between 1995 and onwards to improve both range and payload, the A321-200 incorporates more powerful engines—either V2533-A5 or CFM56-5B3 models—along with structural strengthening and optional underfloor fuel tanks that boost total fuel capacity to 30,030 liters. These enhancements elevated its MTOW to 93.5 tonnes. The first flight occurred in December 1996, followed by entry into service with Monarch Airlines in April 1997 and Middle East Airlines in May 1997. This model competes directly against Boeing’s 757-200 and 737-900/900ER aircraft.

A321neo

Airbus unveiled the A320neo family on 1 December 2010, introducing "New Engine Option" models that offer increased range and approximately 15% improved fuel efficiency via advanced CFM International LEAP-1A or Pratt & Whitney PW1000G engines combined with large sharklet winglets. The extended A321neo prototype completed its maiden flight on 9 February 2016 and secured type certification on 15 December 2016. Service entry commenced in May 2017 with Virgin America.

A321LR

Beginning in October 2014, Airbus introduced a variant with an increased maximum takeoff weight (MTOW) featuring three additional fuel tanks, officially launching the A321LR (Long Range) on 13 January 2015. This model provides a range of in a two-class configuration accommodating 206 passengers, extending its reach beyond that of the Boeing 757-200 by .

The A321LR's maiden flight took place on 31 January 2018, followed by certification approval on 2 October 2018. The initial aircraft was delivered to the airline Arkia on 13 November 2018.

A321XLR

The A321XLR represents an upgraded version of the A321LR, boasting a higher MTOW and developed to rival the Boeing NMA, which has since been suspended.

Unveiled at the June 2019 Paris Air Show, it achieves a range of . Its notable enhancements include a fixed Rear Centre Tank (RCT) for extra fuel capacity, reinforced landing gear capable of supporting a MTOW, and refined wing trailing-edge flaps designed to preserve takeoff capabilities.

The aircraft's first flight occurred in June 2022. Initially, Aer Lingus was intended as the launch customer; however, due to pilot labor disagreements, the first delivery was made to Iberia on October 30, 2024. Iberia conducted the inaugural passenger flight on November 6, 2024, with the first long-haul route connecting Madrid and Boston commencing on November 14, 2024.

Freighter conversion

Although Airbus has not manufactured a dedicated freighter variant of the A321, Airbus Freighter Conversion GmbH initially aimed to convert pre-owned A320/321 aircraft into freighters but discontinued this initiative in 2011 due to robust demand for second-hand passenger planes.

On 17 June 2015, ST Aerospace collaborated with Airbus and EFW to establish the A320/A321 passenger-to-freighter (P2F) conversion program. The first converted airframe took flight on 22 January 2020, and by 27 October 2020, the first A321-200P2F was handed over to launch operator Qantas Freight.

Certification for the A321-200PCF, developed by Precision Conversions, was granted in 2021. Additionally, Sine Draco Aviation offers an A321 P2F conversion with the initial delivery anticipated in early 2022.

On 15 March 2022, Lufthansa Cargo commenced operations using its A321F cargo model.

Operators

As of 2025, there were 3,453 Airbus A321 aircraft (comprising 1,701 ceo and 1,752 neo models) actively flying with over a hundred different operators worldwide. The largest fleets belong to American Airlines and Delta Air Lines, which operate 302 and 203 A321s respectively.

Orders and deliveries

Type	Orders		Deliveries
Type	Total	Backlog	Total	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017	2016	2015
A321ceo	1,784	—	1,784	—	—	—	—	22	9	38	99	183	222	184
A321neo	7,064	5,312	1,752	143	361	317	264	199	178	168	102	20	—	—
(A321)	(8,848)	(5,312)	(3,536)	(143)	(361)	(317)	(264)	(221)	(187)	(206)	(201)	(203)	(222)	(184)

Type	Deliveries
Type	2014	2013	2012	2011	2010	2009	2008	2007	2006	2005	2004	2003	2002	2001	2000	1999	1998	1997	1996	1995	1994
A321ceo	150	102	83	66	51	87	66	51	30	17	35	33	35	49	28	33	35	22	16	22	16
A321neo	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
(A321)	(150)	(102)	(83)	(66)	(51)	(87)	(66)	(51)	(30)	(17)	(35)	(33)	(35)	(49)	(28)	(33)	(35)	(22)	(16)	(22)	(16)

Data current as of June 2025

Accidents and incidents

As of August 2019, the Airbus A321 has been associated with 32 aviation-related accidents and incidents. Among these, six events led to the total loss of the aircraft, resulting in a combined death toll of 377 individuals.

Specifications

Variant	A321	A321neo	A321LR	A321XLR
Flight crew	Two pilots
Two-class seating capacity	185 (16 business @ 36 in, 169 economy @ 32 in)	206 (16 business @ 36 in + 190 economy @ 30 in)
Maximum single-class seating	220 @ 28 in	220 @ 28 in (Original) 244 @ 28 in (Cabin-Flex)	244 @ 28 in
Cargo volume	51.70 m³ (1,826 cu ft) / 10×LD3-45 units^{[lower-alpha 1]}
Aircraft length	44.51 m (146 ft)
Wingspan	35.80 m (117 ft 5 in)^{[lower-alpha 2]}
Wing area and sweep	122.4 m² (1,318 sq ft), swept at 25°
Aircraft height	11.76 m (38.6 ft)
Fuselage dimensions	3.95 by 4.14 m (13.0 by 13.6 ft) width × height, cabin width 3.70 m (12.1 ft)
Maximum takeoff weight	93.5 t (206,000 lb)		97 t (214,000 lb)	101 t (223,000 lb)
Maximum payload capacity	25.3 t (56,000 lb)	25.5 t (56,000 lb)
Operating empty weight	48.5 t (107,000 lb)	Approximately ^{[convert: needs another number]} t

! Jet fuel capacity |

|

|

|}

Engines

Model	Certification date	Engine type	Takeoff thrust	Maximum continuous thrust
A321-111	27 May 1994	CFM56-5B1	133.44 kN (30,000 lb_f)	129.40 kN (29,090 lb_f)
A321-112	15 February 1994	CFM56-5B2 or -5B2/P	137.89 kN (31,000 lb_f)	129.40 kN (29,090 lb_f)
A321-131	17 December 1993	IAE V2530-A5	133.00 kN (29,900 lb_f)	119.88 kN (26,950 lb_f)
A321-211	20 March 1997	CFM56-5B3 series	142.34 kN (32,000 lb_f)	129.40 kN (29,090 lb_f)
A321-212	31 August 2001	CFM56-5B1 series	133.44 kN (30,000 lb_f)	129.40 kN (29,090 lb_f)
A321-213	31 August 2001	CFM56-5B2 or -5B2/P	137.89 kN (31,000 lb_f)	kN}}

}

External links

Official Airbus page

Cite error: <ref> tags exist for a group named "lower-alpha", but no corresponding <references group="lower-alpha"/> tag was found

[lower-alpha 1]

[lower-alpha 2]