Stelia Aerospace delivered to Airbus the first forward fuselage sections for the A321XLR. The supplier is in charge of the design, manufacturing, and assembly of all the sections of the front fuselage of the A321XLR program.
The parts delivered, three out of the six sections that constitute the forward fuselage, were assembled in Stelia’s Méaulte and Rochefort manufacturing sites.
The A321XLR, unveiled during the June 2019 Paris Air Show, already racked up more than 450 orders. The aircraft has an operating range of 8,700 kilometers (5,400 miles), giving the single-aisle the ability to carry out transatlantic flights. In order to do so, several structural modifications were made to the A320 airframe, including a new Rear Center Tank (RCT) for fuel. The first RCT, manufactured by Premium Aerotec, was delivered to Airbus’ Hamburg facility in early May 2021.
Set to enter commercial service in 2023, the A321XLR is a challenge to Boeing’s New Midsize Aircraft, which is yet to be unveiled.
During a meeting of the European Works Council on April 21, 2021, Airbus announced the creation of two new companies in France and Germany to bring the aerostructure activities of its two subsidiaries Stelia and Aerotec under its wing.