The European aircraft manufacturer Airbus is postponing the expected first delivery of the A321XLR to 2024. The background is that EASA's safety concerns about the fuel tanks have to be dispelled.
Main competitor Boeing submitted a written statement to EASA some time ago. In it was pointed out that there was a potential danger with the positioning of the auxiliary tanks. Suggestions were also made as to how these could be remedied. The procedure is common, because aviation authorities ask external participants for their expertise as part of the approval process. Airbus also makes use of this option, for example, in Boeing approval procedures.
The European aircraft manufacturer expects its long-awaited narrow-body A321XLR aircraft to enter service before 2024. Airbus confirmed the delay in reporting first-quarter 2022 results on Wednesday. It was originally announced that the first A321XLR could enter scheduled service by the end of 2023.
Now additional structural work is necessary in connection with the additional tanks. Airbus expects these to take between six months and a year. EASA did not want to comment in depth on this, in any case the manufacturer had to prove that the isolation plan was safe. It is designed to prevent the insulation between the cabin floor and the fuel tanks from being safe and preventing burn through.
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