Airbus begins assembly of the A321XLR nose and front fuselage
Coming less than two months after the start of assembly of the rear and center fuselages, this marks another significant production step for the A321XLR.
Airbus (Toulouse, France) have begun the structural assembly and system equipment of the A321XLR’s nose and front fuselages at its Saint-Nazaire facility in Western France. Coming less than two months after the start of assembly of the rear and center fuselages, this marks another significant production step for the A321XLR, the company reports.
On July 1, six fuselage sections arrived from STELIA Aerospace (Toulouse, France) at Airbus Saint-Nazaire, where they will be assembled in the coming weeks, including system equipment and flight test instruments installation.
The A321XLR is the newest iteration of the Airbus design, increasing revenue payload and adding the Xtra Long Range capability, which provides a range flexibility of up to 8,700 kilometers and a 30% lower fuel burn and CO2 emission per seat, compared with the previous generation.
The final assembly of the first A321XLR flight test aircraft is expected to take place in the fourth quarter of 2021. The entry into service is targeted for 2023.
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