Small aircraft are flying longer routes, including across the Atlantic. See inside the $130 million Airbus A321neo pioneering the trend.

Thomas PalliniJan 8, 2022, 20:15 IST

A Wizz Air Airbus A321neo.Thomas Pallini/Insider

Airlines are moving away from behemoth aircraft with a desire to downsize to smaller and efficient aircraft.
Airbus has sold nearly 4,000 single-aisle A321neo aircraft to airlines looking to lower costs and expand their route networks.

The era of towering passenger aircraft has officially ended at Airbus and Boeing. Airlines have made it clear that they want smaller planes that can carry more passengers further than ever before.

A JetBlue Airways Airbus A321neo.David Slotnick/Business Insider

The era of towering passenger aircraft has officially ended at Airbus and Boeing. Airlines have made it clear that they want smaller planes that can carry more passengers further than ever before.

Airbus has been leading the charge in that department with a stream of enhancements to its largest single-aisle plane, the A321. First came the Airbus A321neo with new engines and aerodynamic features that bolster the A321's range and performance capabilities while lowering its operating costs.

An Airbus A321neo.Dominique Boutin/TASS/Getty

Airbus has been leading the charge in that department with a stream of enhancements to its largest single-aisle plane, the A321. First came the Airbus A321neo with new engines and aerodynamic features that bolster the A321's range and performance capabilities while lowering its operating costs.

Airlines quickly realized the A321neo's potential to make some of their long-haul routes more efficient by downsizing from their wide-body aircraft. A flight between New York and London could be flown cheaper using an A321neo than a Airbus A330, for example, with fewer seats to fill in order to make a profit.

An Airbus A321neo.Marina Lystseva/TASS/Getty

Airlines quickly realized the A321neo's potential to make some of their long-haul routes more efficient by downsizing from their wide-body aircraft. A flight between New York and London could be flown cheaper using an A321neo than a Airbus A330, for example, with fewer seats to fill in order to make a profit.

And the trend is quickly growing in the transatlantic market. TAP Air Portugal, Aer Lingus, JetBlue Airways, Air Transat and La Compagnie all regularly fly the A321neo and A321neoLR between the US and Western Europe.

An Aer Lingus Airbus A321neo.Peter Krocka/Shutterstock.com

And the trend is quickly growing in the transatlantic market. TAP Air Portugal, Aer Lingus, JetBlue Airways, Air Transat and La Compagnie all regularly fly the A321neo and A321neoLR between the US and Western Europe.

SAS Scandinavian Airlines is poised to take the aircraft to new heights with regular flights between Copenhagen, Denmark and the US East Coast starting in March 2022. The A321neoLR lets airlines fly as many as 206 passengers as far as 4,000 nautical miles.

An SAS Scandinavian Airlines Airbus A321neoLR.Scandinavian Airlines

SAS Scandinavian Airlines is poised to take the aircraft to new heights with regular flights between Copenhagen, Denmark and the US East Coast starting in March 2022. The A321neoLR lets airlines fly as many as 206 passengers as far as 4,000 nautical miles.

New cabin designs are also allowing airlines to be creative with how they fill their planes. Some airlines are opting to cram as many passengers as possible into an economy class cabin while others are experimenting with new premium cabins.

An Airbus A321neo.Mustafa Yalcin/Anadolu Agency/Getty

New cabin designs are also allowing airlines to be creative with how they fill their planes. Some airlines are opting to cram as many passengers as possible into an economy class cabin while others are experimenting with new premium cabins.

The A321neo, especially, is proving to be a favorite of ultra-low-cost airlines that can fly their routes for even cheaper than before while filling their aircraft to the brim.

A Wizz Air Airbus A321neo.Thomas Pallini/Insider

The A321neo, especially, is proving to be a favorite of ultra-low-cost airlines that can fly their routes for even cheaper than before while filling their aircraft to the brim.

A321neo customer Wizz Air brought the best-selling single-aisle aircraft to the Dubai Airshow in November. Take a look inside and see how the ultra-low-cost carrier uses the aircraft.

A Wizz Air Airbus A321neo.Thomas Pallini/Insider

A321neo customer Wizz Air brought the best-selling single-aisle aircraft to the Dubai Airshow in November. Take a look inside and see how the ultra-low-cost carrier uses the aircraft.

Airbus has landed 3,958 orders for its A321neo aircraft as of November 2020, 376 of which have been from Wizz Air.

A Wizz Air Airbus A321neo.Thomas Pallini/Insider

Powering the aircraft are two Pratt & Whitney GTF, or geared turbofan, engines. Another option for the A321neo is the CFM International LEAP-1A engine.

A Wizz Air Airbus A321neo.Thomas Pallini/Insider

This Wizz Air Airbus A321neo was delivered by Airbus in September 2020 and has been flying throughout the Middle East, Europe, and Asia for the airline's Abu Dhabi dvision ever since.

A Wizz Air Airbus A321neo.Thomas Pallini/Insider

This Wizz Air Airbus A321neo was delivered by Airbus in September 2020 and has been flying throughout the Middle East, Europe, and Asia for the airline's Abu Dhabi dvision ever since.

Airbus states that the A321 can "comfortably" seat between 180 and 220 passengers in a two-class configuration and up to 244 passengers in the highest-density configuration.

A Wizz Air Airbus A321neo.Thomas Pallini/Insider

Airbus states that the A321 can "comfortably" seat between 180 and 220 passengers in a two-class configuration and up to 244 passengers in the highest-density configuration.

Wizz Air comes quite close to the maximum with 239 seats on its newest A321neo aircraft, including those based in Abu Dhabi.

A Wizz Air Airbus A321neo.Thomas Pallini/Insider

The Airbus "Cabin-Flex" configuration that changes the location of exit rows and the layout of service galleys allows for high-density seating layouts like the one employed by Wizz Air.

A Wizz Air Airbus A321neo.Thomas Pallini/Insider

The Airbus "Cabin-Flex" configuration that changes the location of exit rows and the layout of service galleys allows for high-density seating layouts like the one employed by Wizz Air.

But with so many seats comes tradeoffs, namely in seat space. Seats are "slimline" with minimal padding to increase capacity.

A Wizz Air Airbus A321neo.Thomas Pallini/Insider

Legroom at each seat is less than 30 inches and seats do not recline.

A Wizz Air Airbus A321neo.Thomas Pallini/Insider

Only very basic amenities exist at each seat including a tray table, coat hook, and a seatback pocket.

A Wizz Air Airbus A321neo.Thomas Pallini/Insider

The fewer the amenities a seat has, the less space it takes up.

A Wizz Air Airbus A321neo.Thomas Pallini/Insider

Exit row seats and seats in the first row are the only seats than offer extra legroom.

A Wizz Air Airbus A321neo.Thomas Pallini/Insider

There are so many seats that the very last row does not have its own window.

A Wizz Air Airbus A321neo.Thomas Pallini/Insider

The rear galley of the aircraft is configured with a minimal workstation for flight attendants that's opposite the two lavatories.

A Wizz Air Airbus A321neo.Thomas Pallini/Insider

Wizz Air flies a mix of long and short routes with the aircraft. Flights from Abu Dhabi to Belgrade Serbia, for example, exceed six hours while flights from Abu Dhabi to Muscat, Oman can be less than an hour.

A Wizz Air Airbus A321neo.Thomas Pallini/Insider

Wizz Air flies a mix of long and short routes with the aircraft. Flights from Abu Dhabi to Belgrade Serbia, for example, exceed six hours while flights from Abu Dhabi to Muscat, Oman can be less than an hour.

And fares on Wizz Air are known for being incredibly cheap and sales can bring down ticket prices to as low as $12 one-way.

A Wizz Air Airbus A321neo.Thomas Pallini/Insider

The economics of the A321neo help Wizz Air keep prices low but the airline is also banking that travelers will buy extra amenities, whether it be onboard snacks and beverages or baggage allowance.

A Wizz Air Airbus A321neo.Thomas Pallini/Insider

The economics of the A321neo help Wizz Air keep prices low but the airline is also banking that travelers will buy extra amenities, whether it be onboard snacks and beverages or baggage allowance.

Airlines are required to have more flight attendants onboard an aircraft as the number of seats grow. But smaller planes require fewer flight attendants overall.

A Wizz Air Airbus A321neo.Thomas Pallini/Insider

The A321neo's cockpit is nearly identical to those found on Airbus A320 family aircraft, allowing pilots to fly every aircraft from the A318 to A321neo with only minor differences trainings.

A Wizz Air Airbus A321neo.Thomas Pallini/Insider

The A321neo's cockpit is nearly identical to those found on Airbus A320 family aircraft, allowing pilots to fly every aircraft from the A318 to A321neo with only minor differences trainings.

Not all airlines are following Wizz Air's lead, especially those using the aircraft to fly transatlantic routes. Some airlines, recognizing the space constraints on the aircraft, have opted for low-density configurations with less than 200 seats.

A Wizz Air Airbus A321neo.Thomas Pallini/Insider

Not all airlines are following Wizz Air's lead, especially those using the aircraft to fly transatlantic routes. Some airlines, recognizing the space constraints on the aircraft, have opted for low-density configurations with less than 200 seats.

La Compagnie, the French boutique airline, has outfitted its A321neo aircraft in an all-business class configuration.

A La Compagnie Airbus A321neo.Thomas Pallini/Insider

A total of 76 seats in a 2-2 configuration make the aircraft feel more like a private jet than a commercial airliner.

A La Compagnie Airbus A321neo.Thomas Pallini/Insider

SAS Scandinavian Airlines offers a three-class configuration on its A321neoLR aircraft, including business class, premium economy class, and economy class.

A Scandinavian Airlines Airbus A321neoLR.Scandinavian Airlines

A total of only 157 seats gives passengers more room while onboard and helps minimize the physiological impact of flying long distances on a single-aisle plane.

A Scandinavian Airlines Airbus A321neoLR.Scandinavian Airlines

JetBlue Airways began flying the A321neo in 2019 and has two versions of the aircraft, the A321neo and A321neoLR, each with their own layout.

David Slotnick/Business Insider

The A321neo can be found flying on JetBlue main route network in the Western Hemisphere while the newer A321neoLR is used solely for transatlantic flights between the US and Europe, flying JetBlue's longest routes.

A JetBlue Airways Airbus A321neo.Lukas Wunderlich / Shutterstock.com

The A321neo can be found flying on JetBlue main route network in the Western Hemisphere while the newer A321neoLR is used solely for transatlantic flights between the US and Europe, flying JetBlue's longest routes.

JetBlue opted for a medium-density configuration of 200 seats in an all economy-class configuration for the A321neo. Standard economy seats offer 32 inches of pitch while extra legroom seats offer between 35 and 38 inches of pitch.

A JetBlue Airways Airbus A321neo.David Slotnick/Business Insider

JetBlue opted for a medium-density configuration of 200 seats in an all economy-class configuration for the A321neo. Standard economy seats offer 32 inches of pitch while extra legroom seats offer between 35 and 38 inches of pitch.

But for the A321neoLRs flying to Europe, JetBlue opted for a low-density configuration of 138 seats split between a business class cabin and economy class cabin.

Inside JetBlue Airways' new Airbus A321neoLR.Thomas Pallini/Insider

A total of 24 seats can be found in Mint business class, one seat on each side of the aisle to allow for privacy and direct aisle access.

Flying JetBlue Airways from London to New York in Mint business class.Thomas Pallini/Insider

The remaining 114 seats offer a mix between standard seats with 32 inches of pitch and extra-legroom seats with 35 inches of legroom.

Inside JetBlue Airways' new Airbus A321neoLR.Thomas Pallini/Insider

JetBlue offers 101 fewer seats than Wizz Air on the same aircraft and is able to offer a completely different customer experience as a result. All seats fully recline, have adjustable headrests, and feature seat-back entertainment screens.

Inside JetBlue Airways' new Airbus A321neoLR.Thomas Pallini/Insider

JetBlue offers 101 fewer seats than Wizz Air on the same aircraft and is able to offer a completely different customer experience as a result. All seats fully recline, have adjustable headrests, and feature seat-back entertainment screens.

But while not all A321neo aircraft might not resemble those flying for Wizz Air, the aircraft is becoming more pervasive in the skies.

A Wizz Air Airbus A321neo.Thomas Pallini/Insider

As of November 2020, a total of 635 aircraft have been delivered to customers and thousands more have yet to be built.

A Wizz Air Airbus A321neo.Thomas Pallini/Insider

Airlines have just scratched the surface in what they can do with the A321neo. From New York, all of Western Europe, northern South America, and West Africa are within reach with the A321neoLR under the right conditions.

A Wizz Air Airbus A321neo.Thomas Pallini/Insider

Airlines have just scratched the surface in what they can do with the A321neo. From New York, all of Western Europe, northern South America, and West Africa are within reach with the A321neoLR under the right conditions.

The Airbus A321XLR, slated to arrive in 2023, will expand the aircraft's range to 4,700 nautical miles, or around 11 hours of flying.

A Wizz Air Airbus A321neo.Thomas Pallini/Insider

It will be up to travelers to decide whether they can handle long-haul flights on aircraft on which they're more acclimated to flying on five-hour or less flight.

A Wizz Air Airbus A321neo.Thomas Pallini/Insider

But so far, airlines have had no problem filling seats on these aircraft.

A Wizz Air Airbus A321neo.Thomas Pallini/Insider

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Small aircraft are flying longer routes, including across the Atlantic. See inside the $130 million Airbus A321neo pioneering the trend.

The era of towering passenger aircraft has officially ended at Airbus and Boeing. Airlines have made it clear that they want smaller planes that can carry more passengers further than ever before.

Airbus has been leading the charge in that department with a stream of enhancements to its largest single-aisle plane, the A321. First came the Airbus A321neo with new engines and aerodynamic features that bolster the A321's range and performance capabilities while lowering its operating costs.

And the trend is quickly growing in the transatlantic market. TAP Air Portugal, Aer Lingus, JetBlue Airways, Air Transat and La Compagnie all regularly fly the A321neo and A321neoLR between the US and Western Europe.

SAS Scandinavian Airlines is poised to take the aircraft to new heights with regular flights between Copenhagen, Denmark and the US East Coast starting in March 2022. The A321neoLR lets airlines fly as many as 206 passengers as far as 4,000 nautical miles.

New cabin designs are also allowing airlines to be creative with how they fill their planes. Some airlines are opting to cram as many passengers as possible into an economy class cabin while others are experimenting with new premium cabins.

The A321neo, especially, is proving to be a favorite of ultra-low-cost airlines that can fly their routes for even cheaper than before while filling their aircraft to the brim.

A321neo customer Wizz Air brought the best-selling single-aisle aircraft to the Dubai Airshow in November. Take a look inside and see how the ultra-low-cost carrier uses the aircraft.

Airbus has landed 3,958 orders for its A321neo aircraft as of November 2020, 376 of which have been from Wizz Air.

Powering the aircraft are two Pratt & Whitney GTF, or geared turbofan, engines. Another option for the A321neo is the CFM International LEAP-1A engine.

This Wizz Air Airbus A321neo was delivered by Airbus in September 2020 and has been flying throughout the Middle East, Europe, and Asia for the airline's Abu Dhabi dvision ever since.

Airbus states that the A321 can "comfortably" seat between 180 and 220 passengers in a two-class configuration and up to 244 passengers in the highest-density configuration.

Wizz Air comes quite close to the maximum with 239 seats on its newest A321neo aircraft, including those based in Abu Dhabi.

The Airbus "Cabin-Flex" configuration that changes the location of exit rows and the layout of service galleys allows for high-density seating layouts like the one employed by Wizz Air.

But with so many seats comes tradeoffs, namely in seat space. Seats are "slimline" with minimal padding to increase capacity.

Legroom at each seat is less than 30 inches and seats do not recline.

Only very basic amenities exist at each seat including a tray table, coat hook, and a seatback pocket.

The fewer the amenities a seat has, the less space it takes up.

Exit row seats and seats in the first row are the only seats than offer extra legroom.

There are so many seats that the very last row does not have its own window.

The rear galley of the aircraft is configured with a minimal workstation for flight attendants that's opposite the two lavatories.

Wizz Air flies a mix of long and short routes with the aircraft. Flights from Abu Dhabi to Belgrade Serbia, for example, exceed six hours while flights from Abu Dhabi to Muscat, Oman can be less than an hour.

And fares on Wizz Air are known for being incredibly cheap and sales can bring down ticket prices to as low as $12 one-way.

The economics of the A321neo help Wizz Air keep prices low but the airline is also banking that travelers will buy extra amenities, whether it be onboard snacks and beverages or baggage allowance.

Airlines are required to have more flight attendants onboard an aircraft as the number of seats grow. But smaller planes require fewer flight attendants overall.

The A321neo's cockpit is nearly identical to those found on Airbus A320 family aircraft, allowing pilots to fly every aircraft from the A318 to A321neo with only minor differences trainings.

Not all airlines are following Wizz Air's lead, especially those using the aircraft to fly transatlantic routes. Some airlines, recognizing the space constraints on the aircraft, have opted for low-density configurations with less than 200 seats.

La Compagnie, the French boutique airline, has outfitted its A321neo aircraft in an all-business class configuration.

A total of 76 seats in a 2-2 configuration make the aircraft feel more like a private jet than a commercial airliner.

SAS Scandinavian Airlines offers a three-class configuration on its A321neoLR aircraft, including business class, premium economy class, and economy class.

A total of only 157 seats gives passengers more room while onboard and helps minimize the physiological impact of flying long distances on a single-aisle plane.

JetBlue Airways began flying the A321neo in 2019 and has two versions of the aircraft, the A321neo and A321neoLR, each with their own layout.

The A321neo can be found flying on JetBlue main route network in the Western Hemisphere while the newer A321neoLR is used solely for transatlantic flights between the US and Europe, flying JetBlue's longest routes.

JetBlue opted for a medium-density configuration of 200 seats in an all economy-class configuration for the A321neo. Standard economy seats offer 32 inches of pitch while extra legroom seats offer between 35 and 38 inches of pitch.

But for the A321neoLRs flying to Europe, JetBlue opted for a low-density configuration of 138 seats split between a business class cabin and economy class cabin.

A total of 24 seats can be found in Mint business class, one seat on each side of the aisle to allow for privacy and direct aisle access.

The remaining 114 seats offer a mix between standard seats with 32 inches of pitch and extra-legroom seats with 35 inches of legroom.

JetBlue offers 101 fewer seats than Wizz Air on the same aircraft and is able to offer a completely different customer experience as a result. All seats fully recline, have adjustable headrests, and feature seat-back entertainment screens.

But while not all A321neo aircraft might not resemble those flying for Wizz Air, the aircraft is becoming more pervasive in the skies.

As of November 2020, a total of 635 aircraft have been delivered to customers and thousands more have yet to be built.

Airlines have just scratched the surface in what they can do with the A321neo. From New York, all of Western Europe, northern South America, and West Africa are within reach with the A321neoLR under the right conditions.

The Airbus A321XLR, slated to arrive in 2023, will expand the aircraft's range to 4,700 nautical miles, or around 11 hours of flying.

It will be up to travelers to decide whether they can handle long-haul flights on aircraft on which they're more acclimated to flying on five-hour or less flight.

But so far, airlines have had no problem filling seats on these aircraft.