Jetstar Takes Delivery of First Airbus A321LR

DALLAS - The first brand-new Airbus A321LR (NEO) aircraft operated by Jetstar Airways (JQ) touched down in Melbourne this morning after a four-year countdown, raising the standard for affordable travel in Australia.

Customers will have a much improved in-flight experience thanks to the long-distance, fuel-efficient aircraft, which has just left the Airbus production line in Hamburg, Germany. Benefits include wider seats, bigger overhead storage bins, and in-seat USB power.

The A321LR is the lowest emissions aircraft in part of the Qantas Group airline fleet and 15% more fuel efficient than the current fleet of A320 aircraft. It is also 50% quieter and can travel up to 1200km further.

The new A321neo from JQ has an extra fuel tank that enables it to travel between all of its domestic locations as well as to South East Asia, including the well-liked vacation spot of Bali. In early September, the aircraft will begin service on some of Jetstar's busiest domestic routes, including the route from Melbourne to Cairns.

This is the first of 38 A320neo Family aircraft for the carries, which also includes 18 A321neo and 20 A321XLR. These are a component of the Qantas Group's overall 149-aircraft backlog of single-aisle aircraft that have been ordered.

According to Airbus, the A320neo Family had more than 8,000 firm orders from more than 130 customers as of the end of June 2022.

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Comments from Jetstar CEO

The arrival of the A321LR marks one of the most important turning points in Jetstar's 18-year existence, according to JQ CEO Gareth Evans, who was speaking at Melbourne Airport (MEL) today as the plane landed.

“Our fleet of new NEOs will lift the bar on passenger comfort, and we’ve fine-tuned the cabin configuration to set a new standard of inflight experience for low fares to travel in Australia. This means wider seats for customers, larger overhead lockers, in-seat USB charging, and in-flight digital streaming technology, which is an Australian first for a low fares airline."

“The A321LR burns significantly less fuel than previous generation aircraft, and advanced weather detection technology will enable our pilots to plot smoother and more fuel-efficient flight paths. The aircraft also has a greater flying range than Jetstar’s current A320 fleet, which opens up opportunities to expand our international network across the Asia Pacific region – meaning more low fares to even more destinations.”

Eight more A321LRs will be delivered between August 2022 and May 2023, bringing the total number of A321LRs delivered to 18 by mid-2024. Between 2024 and 2029, another 20 A321XLR aircraft will arrive, extending the range of narrowbody flights even more.

Featured image: Jetstar Airways takes delivery of its first A321neo. Photo: Airbus