The A320 was the aircraft that caused European planemaker Airbus to become a household name in
commercial aviation. Before it even took flight, the short and medium-haul jet had already amassed
over 400 orders and it’s only skyrocketed since. We can compare this to the first Airbus type,
the A300, which only had 15. The Airbus A320 series would quickly become a leading product for
the company and a staple with airlines worldwide. Only one year after the launch of the A320,
Airbus announced a stretched derivative of the now-classic aircraft - the A321. Let's
take a look at the two siblings side-by-side and see how they compare to each other. For
the purpose of this video, we have the classic A320 and the A321 facing off against each other.
However, we will also examine the new versions that have hit the market (the 'neo', or new engine
option). While certain models at first glance seem quite clearly to come out on top, it depends a
little bit on airline preference and what they intend to use them for. So, let’s get started!
In order to set the framework, let's begin by looking at the specifications
of the A320 ceo and A321 ceo. The A320 can accommodate about 150
passengers across two classes. However, it can go up to 180 passengers in a single-class,
high-density layout. Its approximate maximum range is 3,300 nautical miles, or 6,112 km. This will,
of course, depend on cabin configuration and the aircraft’s overall weight, among other factors.
In two classes, the stretched Airbus A321 can fit around 185 passengers
but is able to squeeze in more than 220 passengers in a high-density one-class configuration.
According to Airbus, the jet’s maximum range is 3,200 nautical miles, or 5,950 km.
Looking at the same metrics for the neo versions, the passenger capacities are quite similar.
This is because the jets share basic platform and fuselage sizes
which are nearly identical to their predecessors.
There are some important updates allowing for more capacities, however. Indeed, with A321neos
fitted with Airbus’ Cabin Flex modifications, an extra 20 passengers can be accommodated.
In fact, Chilean carrier JetSMART's first A321neo will be fitted with a dense 244 seats!
This is what Airbus has to say about Cabin Flex: "Compared to the previous A321 variant, the most
visible modifications are a new rear section and a modified passenger door configuration,"
As we noted in a previous Simple Flying video, core to the cabin flex concept is the number
of exit doors and the ability of passengers to easily access them in an emergency. Traditionally,
the A321 has four exit doors along each side of the aircraft - a forward door, doors just forward
and aft of the wing, and a rear door. Under the cabin flex concept,
the A321 has five exit doors on each side. This includes the forward door, the two overwing doors,
the door aft of the wing, and the rear door. A similar solution has been created for the
A320neo. This allows the A320neo to fit as many as 194 passengers - 14 more than the A320-200.
But it’s not the increases in maximum allowable capacity that are key the Neo’s key selling
points. Instead, it’s the impressive gains in range and efficiency that has resulted in
airlines rushing to place large neo orders. In fact, the A320neo has a range of 3,400
Nautical miles, or 6,300 km while the A321neo can take passengers as
far as 4,000 nautical miles, or 7,400 km. Fitted with extra fuel tanks, the A321XLR
takes this further - able to fly passengers up to 4,700nm or 8700km in a two-class configuration.
The A321XLR is Airbus' latest and much-anticipated derivative of the A320 family.
This new variant was initially planned to begin flying this year. However, the process has hit
a few snags as regulators worry about fire safety regarding the additional fuel tanks. As a result,
entry into service is now projected for 2024. Perhaps it should come as no shock that, according
to the numbers, the A321neo is the quote-unquote 'best' aircraft in the Airbus A320 family.
Furthermore, the A321neo has demonstrated close to 30%
improvement in fuel burn compared to its older sibling. This is beneficial to airlines and the
end consumer but also a boon for the environment. But since we are talking range, allow us to
circle back to the upcoming 'gamechanger' narrowbody jet - the A321XLR for a moment.
Following the positive feedback of the series, Airbus launched the A321XLR in 2019 to complement
its beloved A321neo series. The company stated that the aircraft was the next evolutionary step
and based on the response to market needs for an even greater narrowbody range, offering more
agility for point-to-point operations. With its unprecedented ability to go the distance,
this Airbus narrowbody could easily fly routes such as Montreal, Canada, to Split, Croatia.
Concerns are that Airbus might not get the fuel tanks approved by regulators,
forcing the manufacturer to reduce the jet's range and robbing it of its greatest selling point.
But things are far from that bad… yet. As for the older CEO aircraft, if you want range,
you'd have to go with something even smaller than the A320- namely the A319. Of course, if
you wanted capacity, you'd have chosen the A321. However, if you were looking for that sweet
spot in the middle, then the A320 would come out on top.
All these specs and numbers might be moot until looking at which of these aircraft have actually
been more popular with airlines. However, it’s worth noting that this does not say
anything about passenger preference!. Airbus has delivered a total of 4,752
A320ceos and 1,784 A321ceo aircraft. While our video mainly compares the A320 and the A321,
it’s worth noting that Airbus has produced 1,484 A319s and only 80 A318s!
As we can see, while the CEO aircraft were still all the rage, most airlines actually chose that
middle ground we talked about earlier - the A320. This aircraft has counted more than double
the orders of its larger capacity relative. But what about the neo versions (thus far)?
Well, the A320neo has seen 3,817 orders and 1,474 deliveries as of April 2022.
However, the A312neo has seen an impressive 4,189 orders, but with just 742 deliveries.
Here we can see that the pattern has reversed. The A321neo has overtaken
the A320neo in orders, despite costing nearly $20 million more at list price.
With these numbers, it’s clear that the trend is moving towards higher capacities-
especially considering the fact that Airbus chose not to make an A318neo while the A319neo has
only amassed orders for 72 jets. This, of course, is partially the result of the European carrier
adopting the A220 into its offerings. Altogether, it’s quite unsurprising
that which aircraft is quote-unquote 'better' ultimately depends on the airline's requirements.
In a healthy market, when carriers need the extra capacity, the A321 would be the perfect option.
For instance, during the middle of the last decade, American Airlines decided
to gradually replace many of its A320 jets with A321s. Forbes reports that this move
was based on a period when the majority of airlines in the US were filling every seat.
However, today, in some parts of the world, the industry is in a completely different situation.
The global health crisis has taken its toll on the aviation market,
and travel restrictions and passenger concerns have forced the suspension of countless flights,
which in turn has caused the long-term grounding of many aircraft. Most markets have begun a proper
recovery, but while schedules are beginning to fill up again, things remain volatile.
But then again, if pilots are scarce or are calling in sick, then consolidating
operations to have fewer but higher-capacity flights makes more sense. In this scenario,
having a pair of A321s available to step in for three A320 services would ensure more passengers
are accommodated while requiring fewer crews. Another thing we’ve learned from our comparison
exercise is that stretches work out better than quote-unquote “shrinks.” While the
stretch of a fuselage without additional fuel capacity will result in a reduced range,
airlines will typically prefer the higher capacity that is made possible.
When considering fuel, landing fees, airline crews, and more, deploying a higher capacity
jet results in lower costs per seat- one of the metrics that airlines care about the most.
Thus, we’re more likely to see a stretched Airbus A220 before we ever hear about a new A318 variant!
Overall, in an age when airlines are increasingly becoming conscious when it comes to efficiency
and CO2 emissions (not to mention racing fuel costs), operating a variety of models to meet
capacity demand on the spot might be preferable- a practice more often referred to as right-sizing.
So which is your favorite Airbus A320 family aircraft? Which variants have
you flown on over the years? Let us know what you think of these jets in the comment section.