Summary Frontier Airlines canceled its plans for the Airbus A321XLR due to performance concerns. Even though the aircraft offers extended range and efficiency, it did not meet Frontier's expectations. The airline has since doubled down on the A321neo, which has less range.
Ultra-low-cost carrier (ULCC) Frontier Airlines announced last week that it had canceled its plans to acquire the highly anticipated Airbus A321XLR . The move was a major shakeup as the aircraft type is expected to be a game changer, with more than 500 orders from over 20 airlines. However, cost-saving measures and the A321XLR not quite living up to its expectations have persuaded Frontier to drop the narrowbody jet entirely.
It has since doubled down on the A321neo, now converting nearly 20 orders that were originally for the slightly smaller A320neo. “Europe, Hawaii, and deeper into South America” The Denver-based airline’s interest in the A321XLR came about in June 2019 when it announced that its existing order for 18 A320neos would be converted. In its announcement, the carrier’s President and CEO, Barry Biffle, said the A321XLR would allow it “to offer coast-to-cost service and explore exciting international and domestic opportunities, such as Hawaii.
” The A321XLR, which is the latest evolution of the A320neo family of aircraft, will offer an unprecedented extended range – hence its name. Airbus anticipates that it will be capable of flying up to 4,700 nautical miles while reducing fuel consumption per seat by 30% compared to previous-generation aircraft. With such performance, Frontier subsequently made it evident that exploring transatlantic routes was not off the table.
According to Aviation Week Network , Biffle commented in 2022 that international flights were “definitely in consideration” with the addition of the A321XLR. The CEO further explained that the aircraft would enable the airline to offer routes to “Europe, Hawaii, and deeper into South America.” The aircraft is expected to enter into service with Iberia later this year.
While no such service was officially announced, it appears that Frontier had the routes under serious evaluation. In fact, the carrier released a pilot recruitment video on YouTube advertising the respective markets, according to independent aviation blog Ishrion Aviation . A portion of the video reportedly showed pictures of Dublin, Honolulu, and Lima next to each other with their airport codes above: Dublin Airport (DUB), Daniel K.
Inouye International Airport (HNL), and Jorge Chávez International Airport (LIM). Below the pictures read “fleet growth taking us above and BEYOND.” Not as expected Nonetheless, Frontier notified Airbus in June that it would not move forward with its plans to purchase the A321XLRs, citing its “performance and range,” according to Aviation Week Network.
While all bets may be currently off the table, Frontier reportedly said it could reconsider acquiring the jet later on. “The operating performance and range of the XLR ended up not being what we had expected. If that changes in the future, we will re-evaluate opportunities with the XLR.
” Since the order for 18 aircraft was originally converted from A320neos, the airline has now converted them again, this time to the A321neo, which it already operates. Configuration concerns It is worth noting that the aircraft type, which is among its most fuel-efficient, can indeed fly to DUB, HNL, and LIM from the continental US. American Airlines regularly deploys its A321neos between Phoenix, Arizona, and HNL.
However, as a ULCC, Frontier’s A321neos have a dense configuration and accommodate more passengers. Slightly heavier aircraft could be a cause for concern on exceptionally long routes over water, but the A321XLR’s increased range would be the feasible solution to the difficulty. In the meantime, Frontier will be focused on sustaining profitability by simplifying its network and operation.
The carrier has also deferred the delivery of 54 Airbus aircraft over the next few years. EASA has officially added four different LEAP-1A engine models to the LEAP-1A and LEAP-1C's type certificate on August 6..
