Australia's flag carrier Qantas is one step closer to becoming the first airline in Asia-Pacific to operate the Airbus A321XLR. The first of its type is due to be delivered to Qantas in April 2025, and today, the airline revealed the aircraft is on the Airbus final assembly line in Hamburg, Germany. First A321XLR with a Flying Kangaroo tail Qantas likes to have themes when naming its aircraft, and for the A321XLR, it has turned to employees to help name the fleet after Australian walks, rivers and roads.
This theme recognizes the iconic travel opportunities across Australia and the importance of connecting the vast landscape and beyond. The aircraft now being assembled in Germany, the first of 28 Airbus A321XLRs aircraft on firm order, has been named Great Ocean Road and will carry the registration VH-OGA when it enters service early next year. With purchase options for more aircraft, the Qantas Group is progressively replacing its fleet of Boeing 737s over the next decade with new A321XLRs and A220s .
Today, the two Qantas Airbus A220s made their commercial debut, and it was a roaring success with the passengers, crew, and the airline. As the pictures show, the initial A321XLR headed for Asia-Pacific now has its major airframe components together, including the forward and rear fuselage, wings and iconic Flying Kangaroo tail in place. It will initially operate on domestic routes currently flown by Boeing 737s , offering more comfort, larger windows, fast and free WiFi and ov.