The world’s longest-range, single-aisle plane is poised to shake up transatlantic travel

Economy

November 16, 2024

Maureen O'Hare - CNN

(CNN) — In travel news this week: crackdowns on overtourism in Florence and Pompeii, new developments in the world of long-haul and ultralong-haul flights, plus the California couple who moved to France, where things did not go as they hoped.

Launch of the Airbus A321XLR

It’s slim, it’s sleek, it has a third fuel tank, and it’s ready to open up unexplored long-haul routes.

It’s the new Airbus A321XLR — the XLR is for “Xtra Long Range” — and it just made its inaugural flight with Spain’s Iberia airline on Thursday, with a hop from Madrid to Boston.

Iberia’s 182-seat plane is the world’s longest-range single-aisle commercial aircraft, with a range of up to 4,700 nautical miles (a little over 5,400 miles).

For comparison, New York to Istanbul is about 5,000 miles. Airbus also says it burns 30% less fuel per seat than previous-generation aircraft.

What this kind of range on a single-aisle plane means is that it can open up routes and frequencies that weren’t possible with a bigger, less economical craft — such as the new routes from Dublin, Ireland, to Nashville and Indianapolis that Irish carrier Aer Lingus plans to launch with the plane next year.

Aviation writer Miquel Ros, who was invited by Iberia to preview the plane on the ground, told CNN he found the cabin “a decent compromise between the known space limitations and the need for efficiency.

“The business class seats are slightly narrower than the ones on the airline’s twin-aisle aircraft, but they still offer a clearly differentiated premium experience as well as the ability to sleep flat.

“Economy class offers a pitch similar to that found on larger aircraft types as well as the same inflight entertainment system.” He adds that two “state-of-the-art” food galleys should offer solace to those concerned about the smaller cabin.

The ‘overtourism’ problem

The A321XLR’s ability to open up lesser-visited destinations to more tourists could help take the load off some of the world’s overcrowded travel hubs, many of which are feeling the strain.

In Italy, the historic city of Florence is banning key boxes used by short-term rental landlords and loudspeakers used by tour guides. The ancient site of Pompeii is also introducing a limit on the daily number of visitors. That follows the news that Venice is planning to increase its day-tripper tax and impose a two-tier entry system.

In the Portuguese capital, Lisbon residents are calling for a vote on restricting vacation rentals, and the Indonesian island of Bali is preparing a ban on new hotels.

It’s clearly a huge problem, not just in Europe but the world beyond. So the question now is: Can tourism be saved? We took a deeper look at the issues involved.

More news from the air

The A321XLR wasn’t the only long-haul news this week. The planes used for the world’s longest nonstop commercial flights – between Singapore and New York – are getting a makeover. The retrofit of Singapore Airlines’ Airbus A350-900s includes the addition of first-class seats on select aircraft.

And in a big new feature for Apple’s popular AirTag tracking device, customers will be able to share the location of their wayward lost suitcases directly with the airlines, so they can hopefully be reunited sooner.

Luggage trackers aren’t the only hot new innovation in travel tech. Our partners at CNN Underscored, a product reviews and recommendations guide owned by CNN, have rounded up 12 great tech wearables for travelers, from posture-correcting clothing to smart rings.

Au revoir, ma chérie

California couple Joanna McIsaac-Kierklo and Ed Kierklo moved to spend their later years in southern France. Their French dream turned into a “nightmare.” They wanted to return – until, that is, Donald Trump made his own comeback.