How Soon Can Iberia Launch IAG’s Airbus A321XLRs On US Flights After FAA Raises Fuel Fire Concerns?
Summary
- Iberia plans to launch flights to Boston and Washington using the Airbus A321XLR sometime after the summer.
- Aer Lingus lost its launch customer status for the A321XLR due to its inability to deliver certain cost structure assurances to its parent company, the International Airlines Group (IAG).
- The FAA has raised concerns about the A321XLR’s fuel tank design, which could delay Iberia’s plans.
With Iberia’s chief executive officer (CEO) detailing that the airline was planning on introducing the Airbus A321XLR on flights to certain destinations in the US, will the carrier’s plans be derailed due to the recently expressed concerns by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA)?
Flights to Boston and Washington
According to a report by Expansion, a Spanish publication, Marco Sansavini, the Chair and CEO of Iberia, spoke during V Foro Internacional Expansión (Global Growth Forum), organized by the outlet, where he said that Iberia will launch flights from Madrid Barajas Airport (MAD) to Washington Dulles International Airport (IAD) and Boston Logan International Airport (BOS) after the summer.
Photo: Airbus
Sansavini took over the reins of the Spanish airline on April 3, 2024, replacing Fernando Candela as the president of Iberia. At the time, the executive detailed that one of the challenges would be to elevate MAD’s status as a hub in Europe, adding that the acquisition of Air Europa would be vital to achieving that goal. Furthermore, Sansavini stated that Iberia will develop its ground handling and maintenance businesses, noting that the International Airlines Group (IAG), the parent company of Iberia, is opening a separate company for the latter business.
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Aer Lingus bound A321XLR
Initially, Aer Lingus was supposed to be the launch customer of the Airbus A321XLR. However, the Irish airline has confirmed that the delivery of the aircraft will be allocated elsewhere within the group. In a statement to the Irish Independent, the carrier’s spokesperson explained that Aer Lingus was not able to provide IAG with the cost structure assurances – the airline is currently in a pay dispute with the Irish Air Line Pilots’ Association (IALPA) – and had to abandon its delivery slot.
Photo: Airbus
Instead, judging by Sansavini’s comments, Iberia will take over the delivery of the aircraft. In a July 2019 announcement, IAG said that it had ordered eight Airbus A231XLRs (with 14 options) for Aer Lingus and Iberia, with the aircraft being used to complement both carrier’s long-haul fleets.
“For Iberia, this is a new aircraft type that will enable it to operate new transatlantic destinations and increase frequencies in key markets.”
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Flights to the US
Data from the aviation analytics company Cirium showed that Iberia operates transatlantic flights from Barcelona El Prat Airport (BCN) and MAD to the United States. In total, Iberia’s network in the US spans 14 destinations, some of which are flown to from both BCN and MAD, including BOS.
The Spanish airline currently operates flights from BCN to BOS and from MAD to BOS and IAD with the Airbus A330 aircraft, either the A330-200 or the A330-300. It has four weekly frequencies on the BCN–BOS and MAD-IAD routes and daily flights from MAD to BOS.
Photo: Carlos Yudica | Shutterstock
However, on May 7, the FAA issued a notice of proposed special conditions for the Airbus A321XLR. The regulator was concerned that while current airworthiness standards cover certain fire-related risks, these have not accounted for the A321XLR’s unique integral rear center tank (RCT) design, which is directly incorporated into the aft fuselage of the aircraft.
As a result, the FAA expressed concerns about the fuel tank’s integrity during an external fire, where that part of the A321XLR’s fuselage was directly exposed to an external flame for extended periods. Thus, the regulator said that Airbus must prove that the integral RCT’s design can prevent fuel vapors from igniting inside the tank for at least five minutes, allowing its occupants, including passengers and crew members to evacuate the aircraft.
The FAA has given the public, which can include various industry stakeholders, the deadline to send in the comments until June 21, 2024. According to the agency, Airbus must prove that it can comply with the special conditions.
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