Airbus released their newest jet at the Paris Airshow this week. The jet is to be called the A321xlr, and it is meant to be the ideal alternative for those airlines who are struggling due to the 737 MAX. So, will the A321xlr finally be the nail in Boeing’s coffin?
The A321xlr is a direct competitor aircraft to the 737 MAX, which is currently grounded due to problems surrounding the MCAS System.Â
Airbus A321xlr origins
In 2018, Airbus was reassessing its A320 family of jets. It noticed that whilst the A320LR and A321LR were doing well, airlines were demanding that it went further, and had better fuel efficiency.
To that end, Airbus began to research the possibilities, and realized that this was certainly possible for the aircraft. They realized that if they re-engineered the wing trailing-edge flap configuration, it would increase take off perfomance.
They also realized that if the aircraft was to be slightly readjusted, they would be able to add a new permanent Rear Centre Tank (RCT) for more fuel. However, by doing this, it would force them to re-engineer the landing gear, making them stronger to be able to hold the increased weight of the aircraft.
This week, the A321xlr was released to the public at the Paris Airshow. The aircraft was on display for airlines to place orders for. Something that JetBlue, Qantas and United have all done recently.
How could the A321xlr be the end of Boeing?
The A321xlr is by far the biggest affront to Boeing in its entire history! The A321xlr is a direct shot at drawing customers away from the 737 family of aircraft.
Draws away customers
United airlines has long been a Boeing customer, with it once being part of Boeing until it was broken up by anti-trust regulators.
Due to this shared history, United has always preferred Boeing jets over other manufacturers. If Boeing produced an aircraft that they needed for their fleet, United would certainly order it. This is what they did with the 737 MAX.
They were looking to retire some of their older 737’s, and Boeing announced that they were bringing a new variant of the 737 to market. United, along with many others, flogged to buy the newest member of the 737 family.
However, now they have no replacement for these aircraft, as they are currently sat in storage or on the tarmac of airports throughout the world! United still has hundreds of 737 MAXs on order, which are currently sat at the Boeing plant in Everett.
United still has a lot of their old 737’s (who should’ve been retired by now) operating in place of the new 737 MAXs. But now, someone is offering them an opportunity to get an aircraft that does the same job, and isn’t currently grounded.
This is why so many airlines have cancelled their orders for the MAX and have converted them into A321xlr orders. Some other airlines have kept their loyalty to Boeing, by changing their MAX orders to 787 orders!
This is very worrying to Boeing as they are losing customers fast, and newer airlines entering the market are choosing to forgo traditional Boeing aircraft. Instead, they are going for the perceived ‘safer’ option!
It’ll make Airbus the leader in long haul travel
For a long time, Boeing has been the go-to aircraft manufacturer for long haul aircraft. Boeing made the 747, probably the most famous long haul airliner in the world! Boeing has also produced the 777, 787 and the 707, which were all designed to fill long haul routes.
Comparably, Airbus has only produced the A380 and A350.
However, now both the 737 Max and A321xlr are designed to fulfill long haul routes too!
By the 737 MAX, essentially being out of the game, and more and more A380’s and 747’s being retired. The A321xlr is the best option for many airlines looking to expand, to go to!
I would expect that soon, we will see the A321xlr (which is scheduled to go into service at the end of 2021 or at the start of 2022) flying routes that the A380 or 747 would’ve flown.
Will the A321xlr truly be the final nail in the coffin?
For many, me even stating that this is a possibility, is a laughable offense. They would probably say something along the lines of “Boeing has been at the height of aviation since 1916, it has seen good times, and it has seen bad times. Boeing will not allow this set back to stop it!”
And whilst I like the sentiment. I am going to argue against it.
Boeing has been trying to gain more market share. They have been doing this by announcing more aircraft, expanding production to several facilities and buying out their competition, such as Embraer and McDonnell Douglas.
However, now, all of this planning and preparation has gotten them nowhere. Yes, in the short term, it has amounted to something. Boeing is still the largest aircraft manufacturer in the world (although it’s likely that Airbus will catch up).
Boeing is still the most recognizable aviation-related brand on the planet! Their aircraft are used by some of the smallest airlines on the planet, but also the largest airlines on the planet. Some airlines even operate a wholly-Boeing fleet, or even a singular Boeing aircraft fleet.
And these airlines aren’t fringe airlines either. They’re airlines like Southwest, Ryanair and Air Tanzania, well maybe the latter is.
But even now, these airlines are looking to change their wholly-Boeing fleet into a composite fleet. Some of this was planned before the 737 MAX incident, and it has only accelerated it. For others, especially Southwest, who were built on a fleet of 737’s they are now looking for an alternative.
This should be forcing Boeing to take a hint. I love Boeing aircraft, I flew them for my entire career, but they have accidentally alienated their entire customer base. And by doing that, they have inadvertently alienated the general public from flying their latest aircraft!
Do you believe that the A321xlr will be Boeing’s downfall? Why or why not? Tell me in the comments!