, a French boutique, all-business-class airline, tops the list when it comes to the world’s longest non-stop Airbus A321LR
flights. Inevitably, the fact that the airline has significantly fewer seats on its planes as compared to typical two-class layouts allows it to operate longer routes with no payload restrictions. Of the three transatlantic routes it operates, all of them stand right at the top of the list of the longest non-stop A321 flights.
All-business class transatlantic flights
La Compagnie’s fleet of two Airbus A321LRs are both configured in a full business class layout, with 76 seats. The carrier’s business model focuses on premium travelers on transatlantic sectors to New York.
According to ch-aviation data, the airline has two more A321LRs on order, with delivery expected this year. However, the airline has only officially shared that it intends to take a singular A321neo, with delivery slated for early 2026. In a statement to Simple Flying, the carrier said that while the 2026 delivery was confirmed, a fourth A321LR is “anticipated.”
When it began operations in 2014, the carrier launched a service from Paris to Newark as its flagship route. It added flights from London Luton to Newark the following year but axed the route in 2016 after Brexit. It moved the excess capacity to France, doubling down on flights on its flagship connection from Paris.
Nice was added in 2019, coinciding with the introduction of the carrier’s first A321LR, while Milan Malpensa joined the network in 2022.
Photo: GCMap
Milan and Paris Orly are operated year-round, while Nice is the airline’s only other origin point and is offered on a seasonal basis.
Milan Malpensa-Newark is the longest route
Launched in 2022, the airline’s Milan Malpensa to Newark Liberty International Airport
route is its longest by distance traveled. It is also the longest non-stop A321 flight in the world, according to data from aviation analytics firm Cirium. The carrier offers this service year-round. Interestingly, Milan is not the airline’s longest route by flight time.
|
Route |
Flight time |
|---|---|
|
Paris-Newark |
Up to 8h 30m |
|
Milan-Newark |
Up to 9h 20m |
|
Nice-Newark |
Up to 10h |
It’s unlikely that Malpensa was the top airport choice for La Compagnie in Milan. It is not necessarily close to the city and is therefore less convenient. Despite this, Malpensa remains the city’s gateway for intercontinental flights. The reason for this is Milan Linate Airport – which is much closer to the city – has distance restrictions that prevent airlines from flying routes that exceed a 1500km radius.
Even Air France-KLM said it would consider launching flights from Milan to New York if the distance restriction were scrapped.
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Nice-Newark: summer seasonal since 2019
The airline’s second-longest route began in 2019 on the Boeing 757. In terms of both the number of flights and seats on offer, La Compagnie has since not reached these pre-COVID levels.
That year, it offered up to four weekly rotations from May until October for a total of 102 flights each way, according to Cirium. Since then, largely influenced by the impact of the coronavirus pandemic, the airline’s operation on the route has been relatively lower.
The route caters to high-spending, premium travelers. Notably, Nice Airport serves as the international gateway for passengers looking to get to:
- Cannes: the location of the world-famous film festival held every year in May.
- Monaco: a country where 1/3 of the population is said to have assets worth over $1 million other than their homes.
- Saint-Tropez: a popular hotspot for wealthy tourists and celebrities.
Rumor has it that La Compagnie wants to extend its premium connection year-round. Currently, the airline’s website shows the last bookable flight this year slated for September 28 (outbound to the US).
In a statement to Simple Flying, the carrier said it had no intention of prolonging the route this year, though it might operate some flights in December as it usually does, for the International Luxury Travel Market in Cannes. This year that event is taking place between December 1 and December 4.
10 longest non-stop A321 routes
This is not necessarily a fair ranking, considering that every airline, other than La Compagnie, operates with a normal A321 seat configuration with more than 150 seats. La Compagnie’s planes have just 76, allowing it to operate longer routes without restrictions. La Compagnie also benefits from the extra range that the LR variant provides.
|
Distance in miles (km) |
Route |
Airline |
|---|---|---|
|
4,010 (6,453) |
Milan-Newark |
La Compagnie |
|
4,007 (6,448) |
Nice-Newark |
La Compagnie |
|
3,648 (5,870) |
Paris Orly-Newark |
La Compagnie |
|
3,611 (5,811) |
Delhi-Denpasar |
Air India |
|
3,596 (5,787) |
Manila-Brisbane |
Philippine Airlines |
|
3,441 (5,538) |
Sharjah-Kuala Lumpur |
Air Arabia |
|
3,210 (5,166) |
Manila-Perth |
Philippine Airlines |
|
3,152 (5,073) |
Busan-Denpasar |
Air Busan |
|
3,140 (5,053) |
Tashkent-Nha Trang |
Qanot Sharq |
|
3,055 (4,917) |
Sharjah-Phuket |
Air Arabia |
There are, of course, longer Airbus A321 routes that are not non-stop. Take another all-business class airline, Beond, as an example. The airline offers A321 service from Europe to Male but stops in the Middle East for refueling.
This includes flights from Milan and Zurich which stop at Dubai’s World Central/Al Maktoum Airport. For reference, Zurich to Male covers a distance of about 4,800 miles (7,725 km).
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