Air India converts 15 Airbus A321neo orders to latest generation A321XLR
A321XLR offers long range, while delivering exceptional fuel efficiency, reduced emissions, and enhanced on board comfort for passengers
The Voice of Chandigarh | Travel Trade Reporter
Air India, India’s leading global airline, today announced the conversion of 15 of its current orders for Airbus A321neo aircraft to the advanced Airbus A321XLR (Extra Long Range) variant. The conversion of the orders was announced today on the sidelines of Wings India 2026, a one of Asia’s premier civil aviation events, in Hyderabad.
The conversion is part of Air India’s landmark orders placed with Airbus in 2023 with an addition in 2024, comprising a total of 50 twin-aisle A350 and 300 single-aisle A320 Family aircraft. Of the 300 single-aisle aircraft, this conversion to A321XLR applies to 15 of 210 A321neo aircraft ordered, while the remainder 90 A320neo remain as originally structured. The deliveries of the 15 A321XLR are expected between 2029 and 2030.
The A321XLR, the latest variant in the evolution of the widely successful A320neo Family, offers a range of up to 4,700 nautical miles (or 8,700 kilometres) while delivering exceptional fuel efficiency, reduced emissions, and superior onboard comfort for passengers. This capability will enable Air India to open new non-stop international routes and optimise high-demand, medium-haul international services, with the flight economics of a single-aisle aircraft.
Campbell Wilson, Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director, Air India, said: “The strategic conversion of a portion of our single-aisle Airbus aircraft orders to the A321XLR is in line with our effort of positioning Air India for the future. While we transform our current fleet at an accelerated pace with new and retrofitted aircraft, we are also carefully building our future fleet that, with scale and versatility, serves the rapidly evolving needs of travellers from and to India. We are happy with our strong partnership with Airbus, who continue to support our vision with the latest of aviation excellence.”
“Air India’s decision to select the A321XLR is a significant endorsement of this game-changing aircraft. The A321XLR is proving to be a revenue generator by boosting frequencies, managing seasonality, and optimising capacity on medium-haul routes. We are pleased to see Air India using the XLR’s efficiency and range to open new opportunities and strengthen India’s connections with the rest of the world,” said Benoit de Saint-Exupéry, Airbus Executive Vice President of Commercial Aircraft Sales.
Air India and Airbus are long-standing partners. The two companies have a 50:50 joint venture that has set up an advanced pilot training centre, inaugurated in September 2025, at the Air India Training Academy in Gurugram, Haryana. The state-of-the-art facility, equipped with 10 Full Flight Simulators (FFS), will train more than 5,000 new pilots over the next decade to support the exponential growth of commercial aviation in India.
Currently, Air India has outstanding deliveries of 542 new aircraft (including 344 with Airbus) out of its total firm orders for 600 aircraft, underscoring its commitment to building one of the world’s youngest and most efficient fleets to support India’s growing aviation ambitions.
Since its privatisation in January 2022, the Air India group has added nearly 170 aircraft to its fleet through a combination of new deliveries, strategic leases, merger of erstwhile Vistara into Air India, and the reactivation of long-grounded aircraft, thus marking significant progress in capacity expansion and fleet modernisation.
