Hungarian low-cost carrier Wizz Air has taken delivery of the first-ever Airbus A321XLR powered by a Pratt & Whitney GTF engine.
The airline announced Tuesday that it had received the first of 47 A321XLRs it has ordered over the past several years. The aircraft made for Wizz have 239 seats in a single-class configuration and a published range of 4,700 nautical miles. Wizz said the long-haul jet will help it establish and service more routes between Europe and the Middle East.
In a statement, Wizz Air CEO Owain Jones called the recent delivery a “defining moment” for the airline and said customers will soon enjoy the upgraded cabins and quieter ride offered by the aircraft.
Wizz has said the jet’s inaugural route will be between London’s Gatwick Airport and King Abdulaziz International Airport in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. It was supposed to begin that service in late March, but the delivery was held up waiting for an air operator’s certificate.
The A321XLR uses two different types of engines, Pratt & Whitney’s PW1100G and the CFM International LEAP-1A.
Among Wizz’s current fleet, Pratt engines power 100 A321neo family aircraft and 67 A320ceo family aircraft.
Pratt said 13 customers have selected GTF engines to power more than 200 A321XLR aircraft worldwide.
