Saudi Arabian flag carrier Saudia has officially welcomed its first Airbus A321XLR, a day after Qantas announced its first Airbus A350-1000ULR for Project Sunrise had been delayed.
The aircraft, registered HZ-ASBA, marking the arrival of the ultra-long-range (XLR) narrowbody aircraft into its growing fleet, touched down at King Abdulaziz International Airport in Jeddah on 24 May following its delivery flight from Toulouse, France. It is the first of 15 A321XLRs ordered by the airline in 2019 as part of a broader deal for 30 Airbus A321neo aircraft.
Configured with 144 seats across two classes, the aircraft features 24 Business Class seats and 120 Economy seats. Business Class passengers will find Thomson VantageSOLO hardshell full lie-flat seats arranged in a spacious 1-1 configuration, with additional room available in the first row.
Saudia plans to deploy the new aircraft primarily on European routes from both Jeddah and Riyadh during the initial phase of operations. The first scheduled service will launch to Madrid on 3 June 2026, with Geneva, Vienna, Paris and Barcelona also earmarked for A321XLR operations in the coming months.
Beyond Europe, the carrier has included Malé in the Maldives in its early network plans, alongside domestic services between Jeddah and Riyadh. Additional destinations across Africa and South Asia are also expected to join the route map as more aircraft are delivered.
The remaining 14 A321XLRs are scheduled to arrive progressively through to 2027 as Saudia continues expanding its narrowbody long-haul capabilities.
The airline already operates 12 standard A321neo aircraft, with a further 62 still on order.
Qantas’ specially configured Airbus A350-1000ULR (ultra0long-range), were due to begin joining the fleet at the end of this year. Instead, Airbus says the first aircraft will now land in Qantas’ hands in April 2027.
The setback is expected to push the launch of the much-hyped 22-hour non-stop flights to the end of 2027, a decade after Project Sunrise was first announced to much fanfare.
Qantas’ Project Sunrise delayed again as Airbus pushes back ultra-long-haul jet delivery
