The long-awaited new Qantas plane touches down in soggy Sydney

Earlier this week, Qantas Domestic CEO Markus Svensson said: “We are proud to be the first A321XLR operator in Asia Pacific and its arrival will mark the beginning of an exciting new chapter for Qantas and a significant step forward in enhancing the experience we offer our customers.”

On the 321XLR, Airbus says the plane “offers the widest cabin of any narrow-body aircraft globally” including space for 60 per cent more bags.

This is done by widening the overhead compartments to accommodate carry-on luggage placed vertically, instead of horizontally.

The 321XLR features wider economy class seats, more economy and business class seats, and larger windows than the Boeing 737.

The economy seat, for example, has a 17.6 inch (44.7 cm) seat width, wider than the 737’s 17 inches (43.2 cm).

The cabin also has new ambient LED lighting and higher ceilings.

The Airbus XLR321 is a major part of Qantas’ refresh which will eventually replace the airline’s ageing fleet of Boeing 737s used domestically.

Crucially for Qantas, the plane is more fuel efficient than existing planes in its fleet.

The Airbus’s extra-long range gives Qantas the option of flying the narrow-body aircraft on longer international routes to destinations such as Melbourne-Hong Kong or Sydney-Bangkok.

Compared to Qantas’ “relatively old B737 fleet”, the A321XLR is more spacious and offers a better travel experience as well as increased seat and luggage capacity, said University of Sydney professor of business Rico Merkert.

“The aircraft features not only a much more modern airframe but also comes with more advanced engine technology,” said Merkert.

“The A321XLR boasts a substantially longer range, enabling Qantas to reach destinations that would otherwise require larger, less fuel-efficient aircraft, the said.

An improved customer experience, better flexibility in network planning of routes, and lower fuel usage make it easy to understand why Qantas is celebrating the start of the replacement of their B737s with A321XLRs, he said.

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