Aircrafttotal Encyclopedia


General information
Type	Single-aisle airliner
National origin	Multi-national
Manufacturer	Airbus
Status	In service
Primary users	Wizz Air IndiGo American Airlines China Southern Airlines
Number built	1,620 as of January 2025
History
Manufactured	2014–present
Introduction date	31 May 2017, with Virgin America
First flight	9 February 2016
Developed from	Airbus A321 Airbus A320neo family

The Airbus A321 is a member of the Airbus A320 family of short to medium range, narrow-body, commercial passenger twin engine jet airliners; it carries 185 to 236 passengers. It has a stretched fuselage which was the first derivative of the baseline A320 and entered service in 1994, about six years after the original A320. The aircraft shares a common type rating with all other Airbus A320-family variants, allowing previous A320-family pilots to fly the aircraft without the need for further training.

In December 2010, Airbus announced a new generation of the A320 family, the A320neo (new engine option). The similarly lengthened fuselage A321neo variant offers new, more efficient engines, combined with airframe improvements and the addition of winglets (called Sharklets by Airbus). The aircraft delivers fuel savings of up to 15%. The A321neo carries up to 244 passengers, with a maximum range of 4,000 nmi (7,400 km; 4,600 mi) for the long-range version when carrying no more than 206 passengers.

Development

The A321 entered service in January 1994 with Lufthansa

The Airbus A321 was the first derivative of the A320, also known as the Stretched A320, A320-500 and A325. Its launch came on 24 November 1988, around the same time as the A320 entered service, after commitments for 183 aircraft from 10 customers were secured.

The maiden flight of the Airbus A321 came on 11 March 1993, when the prototype, registration F-WWIA, flew with IAE V2500 engines; the second prototype, equipped with CFM56-5B turbofans, flew in May 1993. Lufthansa and Alitalia were the first to order the stretched Airbuses, with 20 and 40 aircraft requested, respectively. The first of Lufthansa's V2500-A5-powered A321s arrived on 27 January 1994, while Alitalia received its first CFM56-5B-powered aircraft on 22 March 1994. The A321-100 entered service in January 1994 with Lufthansa.

Airbus Commercial

Airbus Industries S.A.

Airbus A320/321-series NEO First flight 11 March 1993 Introduction 27 January 1994
Produced 1992–2021 (A321ceo) 2016–present (A321neo)

General Info

Cockpit crew	2
2-class seats	185 (16F @ 36 in, 169Y @ 32 in)
1-class max.	220
Cargo capacity	51.70 m³ (1,826 cu ft) / 10×LD3-45s
Length	44.51 m (146 ft)
Wingspan	35.80 m (117 ft 5 in)
Wing	122.4 m² (1,318 sq ft) area, 25° sweep
Height	11.76 m (38.6 ft)

Powerplant

Engines (×2)	CFM LEAP-1A, 78 in (1.98 m) fan PW1100G-JM, 81 in (2.06 m) fan
Max. Thrust (×2)	143.05–147.28 kN (32,160–33,110 lb_f)

Performance

Speed	Cruise: Mach 0.78 (450 kn; 833 km/h; 518 mph) Max.: Mach 0.82 (473 kn; 876 km/h; 544 mph)
Ceiling	39,100–39,800 ft (11,900–12,100 m)
Typical range	3,200 nmi (5,930 km; 3,680 mi)

Related development

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Airbus
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