Qatar Airways announced today that they have converted 10 of their 50 Airbus A321neo orders to the longer range A321LR. This variant employs extra fuel tanks and has a higher take-off weight that allows it to have the extra range. The airline plans to use the aircraft on routes where there is not enough demand for wide body aircraft, but the distance is too long for the traditional A320 and A321 narrow bodies.

The A321LR is able to fly on routes of up to 4,000 nautical miles or 7,400 kilometers. This is the longest range possible on any single aisle aircraft today. The A321LR can generally carry up to 206 passengers in a two class cabin layout or up to 244 in a single-class configuration.

The maximum takeoff was increased from the 93.5 tonnes of the A321neo to 97 tonnes. This is coupled with structural reinforcements and extra fuel tank options which give the A321LR its increased range. The per-seat operational costs are 30 per cent lower than those of the nearest competitor. The aircraft also maintains excellent environmental performance.

Qatar Airways Group Chief Executive, His Excellency Mr. Akbar Al Baker, stated in a recent press release:

We have reassessed the requirements of our fleet and determined that the A321LR will bring the additional capability and range to our existing portfolio of aircraft types that we require to successfully support our global route expansion.

Qatar Airways plans to accept their first Airbus A321LR delivery next year in 2020.