EASA Certifies Airbus A321XLR LEAP-1A Engines

The European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) has officially added one of the engine options for the Airbus A321XLR to the LEAP-1A’s certificate in the latest revision of the document.

Certified A321XLR engines

On August 6, EASA disclosed that it had made a revision to the CFM International LEAP-1A and LEAP-1C, which power the Airbus A320neo and COMAC C919 aircraft families, respectively, type certificate (TC) data sheet (TCDS).

The changes, which were incorporated into the TCDS on July 10 but issued on August 6, added the LEAP-1A32X, LEAP-1A33X, LEAP-1A33B2X, and LEAP-1A35AX engine models to the TC of the aircraft engine family.

While CFM International had disclosed that the engines were certified on July 10, the addition of the four engine models for the A321XLR to the TCDS also unveiled certain data about the engines that power Airbus’ newest addition to the A320neo aircraft family.

For example, the four A321XLR engine models’ take-off thrust was rated at 14,305 dekanewtons, while the maximum continuous thrust was 11,054 daN.

In comparison, the LEAP-1A24 and LEAP-1A24E1, which were found on nine A320neo and one A321neo, per ch-aviation data, were certified by a take-off thrust of 10,680 daN and a maximum continuous thrust of 10,676.

The A321XLR engine models share the same take-off thrust rating with the LEAP-1A30, LEAP-1A32, LEAP-1A33, LEAP-1A33B2, and LEAP-1A35A, which have been used to power the A321neo and A321LR, another A321neo derivative, according to ch-aviation fleet records.

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The Airbus A321XLR was first certified with the CFM International LEAP-1A engines.

No engine modifications required

Nevertheless, when CFM International, a joint venture between GE Aerospace and Safran Aircraft Engines, announced the news about the A321XLR and the respective CFM International LEAP-1A engine models’ certification, the company said that EASA and the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) certified the four models on July 10.

Photo: Airbus

At the time, Gaël Méheust, the president and chief executive officer (CEO) of CFM International, remarked that the engine was always designed with a 35,000 pound-force thrust (15,568 daN) rating, enabling the engine to be used for longer range, higher maximum takeoff weight (MTOW) aircraft.

“As a result, no engine modifications were required, giving operators the added benefit of 100 percent commonality with their existing A320neo family fleets.”

Airbus stated that it would certify the A321XLR with the Pratt & Whitney PW1100G engines, also known as the Geared Turbofan (GTF), sometime later in 2024.

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Preparations for commercial service

Meanwhile, Airbus has continued to prepare the A321XLR for its entry into commercial service with Iberia.

According to planespotters.net data, the Spanish airline, which was a subsidiary of the International Airlines Group (IAG), was scheduled to take delivery of four A321XLRs, including EC-OIL.

Photo: Airbus

While the registrations of the other three were unknown, ch-aviation corroborated the registration of EC-OIL. Still, Airbus has operated pre-delivery test flights with only one A321XLR, registered as D-AZXY. Per planespotters.net, the test registration belonged to an A321XLR, manufacturer serial number (MSN) 11348, which was initially supposed to be delivered to Aer Lingus.

However, amidst a pay dispute with its pilots, which was finally solved in late July, IAG instead decided to introduce the type into service with Iberia.

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