About the Airbus A321
Lufthansa accepted the first production A321 on January 27, 1994. Airbus developed it as the longer member of the A320 family: its extra cabin length allows more seats, while retaining the family's single-aisle layout.
The name A321 can describe the broader aircraft line or the original generation. For tracking, that distinction matters. A321ceo identifies the earlier engine generation, while A321neo identifies the later one; the two have different ICAO type codes.
The FAA aircraft designator list identifies the original A321 with code A321. The later A321neo uses A21N.
According to Airbus, the A321ceo is 44.51 m long and 11.76 m high, with a fuselage width of 3.95 m and a wingspan of 35.80 m with Sharklets. The manufacturer quotes a maximum take-off weight of 93.5 tonnes, 30,030 liters of fuel, a maximum operating Mach number of 0.82 and a range of 5,950 km with Sharklets.
Seating capacity and cabin layout
Airbus describes the A321ceo cabin as seating a typical 170 to 200 passengers in a standard two-class layout and up to 220 in a high-density arrangement.
- Cabin length 34.44 m, maximum cabin width 3.70 m (Airbus).
- Underfloor cargo: 10 LD3-45W containers or 10 pallets (Airbus).
How to recognize an Airbus A321
Length is a useful starting point: the A321ceo is 44.51 m long, compared with 37.57 m for the A320. It is the longest member of the original A320 family, but size does not separate it from the A321neo.
- Wingtips: aircraft equipped with Sharklets have the upturned wingtip devices, giving the 35.80 m span quoted by Airbus; the aircraft's wingtip equipment must be checked when comparing dimensions.
The A321neo has the same 44.51 m overall length. A321neo aircraft with the Airbus Cabin Flex layout use a different arrangement that can include overwing exits, so a door count helps, but the registration and the type record remain the reliable basis.
Variants and related aircraft
The original A321 includes the A321-100 and A321-200 series. Depending on the certified model, these use CFM56-5B or IAE V2500 engines. Individual suffixes identify specific combinations, so an engine cannot be assigned from the series name alone.
Related codes: A320 (Airbus A320), A319 (Airbus A319) and A318 (Airbus A318) are the shorter members on the same type certificate. A21N (Airbus A321neo) is the re-engined successor.
Frequently asked questions
Is the Airbus A321 the same aircraft as the A321neo?
No. Code A321 covers the original A321-100 and A321-200 models, now called the A321ceo by Airbus. The A321neo has its own ICAO code, A21N, and is listed separately as the A-321neo, so it is not part of this type page.
How many passengers does an Airbus A321 carry?
Airbus quotes a typical two-class cabin of 170 to 200 passengers and up to 220 seats in its published passenger configuration. The exact count depends on each airline's configuration.
When was the first Airbus A321 delivered?
Lufthansa took delivery of the first production aircraft on January 27, 1994.
Sources
- faa.gov — appendix_3.html
- aircraft.airbus.com — a321ceo
- airbus.com — Airbus A320%20Family Facts and Figures April 2024.pdf
- airbus.com — a320 family
- easa.europa.eu — en
- airbus.com — 2018 01 airbus rolls out first a321neo acf
- airbus.com — 2017 02 winglets a tip top solution for more efficient aircraft
Aircraft information reviewed on . Airline configurations can change.