Spanish flag carrier Iberia will make history on Thursday when it flies the new Airbus A321XLR single-aisle jet on a long-haul flight between Madrid and Boston for the first time with commercial passengers onboard.
Capable of flying 7,500 kilometers, Iberia is the launch customer of the longest-range single-aisle plane in the Airbus family, and if you hadn’t already guessed, XLR stands for ‘extra long range.’
In fact, the A321XLR is able to fly around 15% further than the A321LR, which is already used by several airlines for long-haul transatlantic flights, including JetBlue.
Despite the additional range and the potential for longer flights, Iberia has taken an interesting approach to kitting out its A321XLR compared to single-aisle transatlantic operators like JetBlue.
On the surface, there are plenty of similarities. Both Iberia and JetBlue have equipped their long-range A321s with four lavatories, fully flat seats in Business Class, and other modern amenities like free inflight Wi-Fi, as well as USB-A and USB-C device charging.
There are, however, some key differences. JetBlue has opted for a more premium configuration with 24 Mint Business Class seats and just 114 Economy seats throughout the entire aircraft.
In contrast, Iberia has just 14 Business Class seats and 168 Economy seats with the vast majority enjoying just 30″ of pitch and several that offer no recline for overnight long-haul flights.
Despite all the extra passengers that need to be served on Iberia’s A321XLR, the airline has made an interesting choice when it comes to the galley, from where flight attendants will be preparing and serving food.
Unlike JetBlue, which decided to retain a traditional full-sized galley at the back of its A321LRs, which takes up the entire width of the plane, Iberia has opted for Airbus’ space-saving solution dubbed Space-Flex, which halves the size of the galley.
The space at the back of the aircraft is shared with two lavatories, meaning that flight attendants will need to set up the food and beverage service in the same space where passengers are queuing to use the lavatories.
The Space-Flex galley and lavatory concept has proved incredibly popular in recent years with operators of the A320 family, although that’s based on the fact that most operators are using these planes on short-haul flights with limited onboard service.
Even on shorter flights with limited onboard service, flight attendants will tell you that working in a Space-Flex galley is a constant challenge. What additional challenges a Space-Flex galley will present when flight attendants are trying to prepare a full long-haul style service for up to 168 passengers remains to be seen.
Here’s hoping that Iberia has, at the very least, conducted extensive testing and trials to ensure that the onboard service can work within a Space-Flex galley.
Iberia has, however, only had the A321XLR in its fleet since October 30 and has, so far, only flown the aircraft on a handful of short European flights to Paris and Stockholm as part of crew familiarisation activities.
In other words, don’t be surprised by potential teething problems with the onboard service… especially in Economy Class. Interestingly, Airbus says it will be evaluating how different airlines configure the plane’s interior to make improvements going forward.
Trying to deliver even a minimal service on a short-haul flight in the spaceflex galley can be difficult, I can’t imagine trying to do a hot meal service on a long-haul flight with it
Why is the toilet in the kitchen? Who does that? I do not want my drink and food near a toilet. Cheap design by the airline.