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DALLAS—Iberia (IB), Spain's flag carrier, has revealed plans to retire its Airbus A319 and A321ceo fleets with the arrival of the brand-new Airbus A321XLR, of which IB is the launch customer.
Specifically, at the time of the delivery of the first XLR unit, by September, the airline would already have phased out most of its A319 planes, and the last unit would be retired in October, local Spanish media confirm.
This operation is part of the big transition from CEO to NEO inside the IB medium-haul fleet, which aims to fly only the latest-generation Airbus planes in the coming years. As of June, Iberia operates six Airbus A319s, 11 A320ceos, 17 A320neos, and 14 A321ceos.
The Latest Update on Iberia’s First XLR
Iberia has made significant progress in preparing for the delivery of the first Airbus A321XLR unit, which is expected to happen in September. The airline has arranged the registration of the first plane, which will wear the code EC-OIL across the Atlantic Ocean.
The Spanish flag carrier also made public the cabin distribution inside the plane. On each flight, the A321XLR will carry 182 passengers: 14 in Business Class suites with direct aisle access and 168 in Economy Class in a 3-3 layout.
Iberia's A321XLR Premium Cabin
The premium cabin will feature the Thompson VantageSOLO product. Thompson is a company trusted by airlines such as Jet Airways (9W), Virgin Atlantic (VS), and Cathay Pacific (CX).
The Iberia Airbus A321XLR will debut on commercial transatlantic flights on November 14, 2024, from Madrid (MAD) to Boston (BOS). Washington will be added in January 2025, and the second unit delivery is initially scheduled for October this year.
Featured image: Adrian Nowakowski/Airways
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