Airbus A321-200

The stretch that became the flagship: nearly 1,700 sold and the second-largest active airliner fleet in the world.
By Ian Molyneaux
✓ Verified against manufacturer & regulator data

Key specifications

Range
3,200
Capacity
220
First service
1997
Orders
~1,700

The Airbus A321-200 is the stretch that became the flagship: the longest member of the original A320 family, seating 185 to 220 passengers, with nearly 1,700 ordered and around 1,380 still in scheduled service, the second-largest active fleet of any airliner variant. Entering service in 1997 with extra fuel and higher weights over the original A321-100, it turned the A320's stretch from a niche into the family's premium product.

American Airlines flies more than 200, the largest single fleet, with Delta, the Chinese majors, Turkish and Lufthansa close behind, and its transcontinental premium layouts in the United States proved a single-aisle could carry flagship cabins. Every A321neo, LR and XLR flying today is this aircraft's direct descendant, on the same type rating.

Full specifications

Manufacturer
Airbus
Family
A320 Family
Maximum range
3,200
Typical seating
185-220
Engines
CFM56-5B / IAE V2500
Entry into service
1997
Key feature
The stretch that became the A320 family's flagship

Operators

Airlines currently operating or having ordered the Airbus A321-200 include:
American Airlines China Eastern Airlines China Southern Airlines Delta Air Lines Turkish Airlines