American Airlines takes delivery of its second Airbus A321XLR
American Airlines' first Airbus A321XLR is scheduled to enter commercial service on December 18.
American Airlines has taken delivery of its second Airbus A321XLR aircraft, with the long-range narrowbody joining the carrier’s fleet just as it is set to launch its inaugural commercial services with the type.
On December 17, 2025, American Airlines took delivery of its second A321XLR. The aircraft, registered as N305NY, departed Airbus’ final assembly line (FAL) at Hamburg Finkenwerder Airport (XFW) at 11:05 local time (UTC +1) and is scheduled to arrive at Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport (DFW) at 15:09 local time (UTC -6). At the time of publishing, the A321XLR is still on its way to DFW.
According to Aviation Flights Group, which tracks aircraft throughout their assembly process, the aircraft was first spotted at XFW in March, with the European planemaker rolling out the airframe in American Airlines’ livery in July.
However, at the time, it still did not have its engines installed, presumably due to engine supply chain constraints Airbus has been facing throughout 2025, especially during the first part of the year. It took off on its first flight on November 26, with two CFM International LEAP-1A engines mounted on its wings.
The airline took delivery of its second A321XLR just as its other aircraft of the type, registered as N303NY, is scheduled to enter commercial service. Per Flightradar24, the airframe was moved from DFW to New York John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK) on December 10, where it has stayed since.
On December 18, it should begin flying between JFK and Los Angeles International Airport (LAX), offering domestic passengers a glimpse into the Flagship Suites, the 20 lie-flat business class seats, which will eventually fly on international routes as well.
Heather Garboden, the Chief Customer Officer (CCO) of American Airlines, previously said that the airline designed its A321XLR cabins for “long journeys with comfort and style at the forefront,” adding that the newest aircraft demonstrated the airline’s commitment to a “premium travel experience.”
In addition to the 20 business class suites, the airline’s A321XLRs are also fitted with 12 premium economy and 123 economy class seats, totaling 155.
In comparison, Iberia, for example, has 182 seats on its A321XLRs, including 14 business class suites. When it inaugurated its latest A321XLR itinerary from Madrid Barajas Airport (MAD) to Recife Airport (REC), it specifically said that its cabin configuration enabled its A321XLRs to have a range of up to 7,500 kilometers (4,049 nautical miles).
Rytis Beresnevicius
NY303NY, set to debut on December 18, arrived at DFW on October 22. Since then, it has completed a single flight: the aforementioned ferry flight from DFW to JFK, according to Flightradar24.
The type's inaugural flight, AA 3, should depart JFK at 11:00 local time (UTC -5) and arrive at LAX at 14:18 local time (UTC -8), Flightradar24 showed.
On March 8, 2026, American Airlines will inaugurate its first international A321XLR route, connecting JFK with Edinburgh Airport (EDI). According to Cirium’s Diio Mi, the airline has not served the route since October 2018, when its last flight, operated with a Boeing 757, carried passengers from JFK to EDI.
Rytis Beresnevicius
However, American Airlines also has three A321XLRs stored at Ostrava Leoš Janáček Airport (OSR). Aviation Flights Group indicated that N300NY, N301NY, and N302NY were ferried to the airport located in Czechia on July 29, December 11, and August 26, respectively.
N300NY, for example, had its first flight on March 31, while N302NY’s first-ever departure was on July 17. All three were moved to OSR under an Airbus test registration: F-XWAA (N300NY), F-XWAB (N301NY), and F-XWAC (N302NY).
Comments ()