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Airbus

Airbus A321

Out of Production

The stretched variant of the A320 family with a 7-meter longer fuselage. The workhorse for high-density short-haul routes, with American Airlines operating the largest fleet of over 300 aircraft.

Passengers

185-220

Range

3,685 mi

Cruise Speed

514 mph

First Flight

1993

Did You Know?

The A321 outsold all other A320 family variants combined in later years, as airlines sought more capacity on popular routes.

History & Timeline

Key Milestones

1993

First Flight

The A321 completed its maiden flight on March 11, 1993, demonstrating the flexibility of the A320 platform for stretching.

1994

Entry into Service

Lufthansa became the first A321 operator in January 1994, using it on high-density European routes.

Development Story

Program Launch

Airbus launched the A321 as a stretched version of the A320 to compete with the Boeing 757 in the 180-220 seat market.

American Airlines Fleet

American Airlines operates the worlds largest A321 fleet with over 300 aircraft, using it as the backbone of its domestic operations.

Interesting Facts

Double Overwing Exits

The A321s stretched fuselage required adding two additional overwing emergency exits compared to the A320, bringing the total to four pairs.

Technical Specifications

Performance

Range
5,930 km (3,685 mi)
Cruise Speed
828 km/h (514 mph)
Service Ceiling
12,497 m (41,001 ft)

Dimensions

Length
44.5 m (146 ft)
Wingspan
34.1 m (112 ft)

Capacity

Passengers
185-220
Cargo Volume
51.7 m³

Engines

Engine Count
2x CFM56-5B or IAE V2530
Manufacturer
CFM International / International Aero Engines
Thrust (each)
142.3 kN

Weights

Max Takeoff (MTOW)
93,500 kg (206,132 lbs)
Fuel Capacity
23,700 L (6,261 gal)

Takeoff / Landing

Takeoff Distance
2,200 m (7,218 ft)
Landing Distance
1,600 m (5,249 ft)

Commercial

Total Orders
2,067
Delivered
2,067
List Price
$118.3M

History

First Flight
January 1, 1993
Status
Out of Production

Sources

Data compiled from the following sources:

M Manufacturer D Aviation Database N News