Earlier this month American Airlines took delivery of its first Airbus A321XLR. The long range narrowbody jet is expected to unlock new transatlantic markets for the carrier and now we have information on what the first route will be.
American Will Fly the A321XLR Between New York and Edinburgh
While we have know that the first Airbus A321XLR flights will operate between New York and Los Angeles beginning in December, we now know that the carrier will fly the aircraft to Edinburg, Scotland as its first international destination.
American has added a daily, seasonal, route between New York’s John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK) and Edinburgh Airport (EDI) that will operate between March 8 and October 24, 2026. The schedule for the 3,255 mile flight has not yet been revealed but tickets will go on sale via the American Airlines website on November 3, 2025.
This doesn’t come as much of a surprise given American flew A321neos to the airport earlier this year in order to familiarize pilots. However, the carrier flew the training routes from Philadelphia instead of New York, likely due to slot restrictions at JFK.
About American’s A321XLRs
American Airlines is outfitting its A321XLRs with 155 seats spread across three cabins. The carrier has 20 Flagship Suite Business Class seats at the front of the plane. These lie-flat seats are arranged in a 1-1 configuration and have direct aisle access. This is essentially the same seat that is being retrofitted onto the carrier’s Boeing 777s and 787s.
American has installed a small, 12 seat, Premium Economy cabin on the A321XLR. These are in a 2-2 configuration spread across three rows. The seats are a modern version of what you can expect to find on the carrier’s domestic First Class cabins.
At the rear of the plane, American has installed 123 Main Cabin seats which are arranged in a 3-3 layout. Unlike the rest of the carrier’s narrowbody aircraft, American has installed seatback in-flight entertainment (IFE) screens at every seat.
Based on the initial photos and seat maps, this should be the most comfortable narrowbody aircraft in the American fleet. While the interior looks great, I’m still undecided on whether I’d be willing to fly a narrowbody aircraft on a 7+ hour transatlantic flight. Personally, I’d rather fly via Philadelphia on the Boeing 787 Dreamliner.
Summary
American Airlines has announced that it will fly between New York and Edinburgh using its new Airbus A321XLRs in 2026. This is the latest narrowbody jet in the American fleet and is expected to open up new transatlantic routes as the carrier takes delivery of more aircraft.
What are your thoughts on transatlantic flying using narrowbody aircraft?
(Images courtesy American Airlines)