On April 29, 2021, JetBlue (JBLU) announced it had taken delivery of its first Airbus A321 Long Range (LR) aircraft bound to launch the airline’s first-ever transatlantic service to London in summer 2021.
“The A321LR platform – offering the range of a wide-body but with the economics of a single-aisle aircraft – is the right size for us and will allow us to effectively compete with our award-winning service and low fares on flights between the U.S. and London,” said Robin Hayes, chief executive officer, JetBlue (JBLU).
Pratt-powered single-aisle Airbus A321LR aircraft can reach a speed of 876 km/h and has a range of 7,400 kilometres, the parameter which, according to JetBlue (JBLU), would allow it to tap into long-haul markets that were not previously possible with the airline’s existing fleet. Also, the newly delivered Airbus A321LR offers 30% fuel savings and nearly 50% reduction in noise footprint.
Additionally, JetBlue (JBLU) is the first launch partner for the new Airspace cabin configuration designed by Airbus to bring long-haul style to the Airbus A321 aircraft. With the Airspace cabin configuration, the A321LR aircraft has a layout of only 138 seats: 114 in economy class and 24 in JetBlue’s (JBLU) Mint Suites.
“We are honored that JetBlue (JBLU) is our first launch operator for the new Airspace cabin on Airbus single-aisle aircraft. We are also confident that the airline’s customers and crew alike will appreciate the outstanding comfort and in-flight transatlantic experience on board these aircraft,” said Christian Scherer, Airbus Chief Commercial Officer.
Currently, JetBlue (JBLU) has a total of 273 aircraft in its fleet, Planespotter.net data shows. The largest part of the airline’s fleet consists of Airbus A320 family aircraft with 120 Airbus A320-200s as well as Airbus A321 aircraft family with 63 A321-200s and 17 A321neo aircraft.