Airbus A321

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A321 Airbus · Airbus A320ceo

Airbus A321 at a glance

What it is: the Airbus A321 is a medium-range jet built by Airbus, first flown in 1993.
On the radar: it shows up as type code A321. How to spot it overhead.
How far it flies: about 5,950 km without stopping, cruising near 840 km/h.
How many it carries: 185–230 passengers, depending on how the airline fits out the cabin.
Power: 2× CFM56-5B / V2500, with a 35.8 m wingspan.

5,950 km

Range

840 km/h

Cruise speed

185–230+

Passengers

1993

First flight

The stretched member of the original A320 family, seating up to 230 in single-class layouts. American Airlines operates the world's largest A321 fleet. It became the preferred replacement for aging 757s on domestic trunk routes.

The story of the Airbus A321

Airbus launched the A321 in November 1989 as the first spin-off from the A320. The company needed a bigger single-aisle jet to challenge the Boeing 757 and to replace aging 727s. Engineers added about 6.9 meters of fuselage using plugs ahead of and behind the wing. Everything else, from the wing box to the cockpit, carried straight over, which kept cost and risk low. Development moved fast as a result.

The prototype flew on March 11, 1993, and Lufthansa started service in January 1994. Higher-thrust CFM56-5B or V2500 engines lift the heavier airframe. The A321 was also the first Airbus assembled in Hamburg rather than Toulouse. That decision turned the German plant into the center of single-aisle production, a role it holds to this day. Output there has climbed ever since.

Early sales were modest. The type found its stride in the 2000s, when airlines wanted more seats per departure on crowded routes. American Airlines built the largest A321 fleet in the world, and Delta, Turkish Airlines and Vietnam Airlines followed. With up to 230 seats, it became the favorite 757 replacement. Its fuselage now underpins the best-selling large narrowbody in the world. Roughly 1,800 ceo models were delivered.

Design and engineering

The A321 stretches the A320 with fuselage plugs fore and aft of the wing. It keeps the same wing box, the same fly-by-wire sidestick cockpit and higher-thrust CFM56-5B or V2500 engines.

One type rating still covers the A318 through the A321. Airlines could therefore slot it into existing A320 fleets immediately.

Heavier weights meant faster approaches, so Airbus fitted double-slotted flaps and stronger landing gear. The ceo version swaps overwing exits for four pairs of full-size doors, which speeds evacuation of up to 230 people. Seating stays six abreast at 18 inches.

How to recognise the A321 in the wild

The longest A320-family fuselage makes it look distinctly pencil-like; on ceo models the giveaway is four full-size passenger doors per side with no overwing exits, plus the standard Airbus nose and wingtip fences or sharklets. More tells in how to identify any aircraft overhead.

Variants and close relatives

Variant	What sets it apart
A321-100	The original lower-weight version with limited range, built only in small numbers.
A321-200	The higher-weight, longer-range model that made up the bulk of ceo production.
A321neo	The re-engined successor whose LR and XLR versions fly transatlantic routes.

Major operators: American Airlines, Delta Air Lines, Turkish Airlines, Vietnam Airlines, Lufthansa - Find them in the airline database and watch their A321s on the live map.

Facts about the Airbus A321

The A321 was the first Airbus jet assembled in Hamburg, Germany, instead of Toulouse, France.
Unlike the A320, the ceo-model A321 has no overwing exits; it uses four pairs of full-size doors instead.
It uses double-slotted flaps, unusual for the family, to keep landing speeds down at its higher weights.
The A321 became the airlines' favorite replacement for the Boeing 757 on domestic trunk routes.

ICAO type code

A321

Manufacturer

Airbus

Capacity

185–230 passengers

Range

5,950 km

Cruise speed

840 km/h

MTOW

93,500 kg

Engines

2× CFM56-5B / V2500

Wingspan / length

35.8 m / 44.5 m

Aircraft related to the Airbus A321

Comparable types selected by family, manufacturer, capacity, range and generation.

A320 Airbus A320 Airbus · 150–186 passengers A319 Airbus A319 Airbus · 124–156 passengers A21N Airbus A321neo Airbus · 180–244 passengers A20N Airbus A320neo Airbus · 150–194 passengers

Tracked flights using the Airbus A321

These existing flight profiles list the Airbus A321 as typical equipment. Airlines can substitute another type on the day.

Flight	Route
AA1	JFK → LAX	Track AA1 →
B6007	JFK → LHR	Track B6007 →
B6615	JFK → LAX	Track B6615 →
B6033	BOS → CDG	Track B6033 →
IB341	MAD → BOS	Track IB341 →
AY1331	HEL → LHR	Track AY1331 →
6E2001	DEL → BOM	Track 6E2001 →
6E1701	DEL → DXB	Track 6E1701 →

More aircraft and tracking guides for the Airbus A321

Spot one overhead using our aircraft identification guide. Telling this maker apart from its rival is easier than it looks, as Boeing versus Airbus shows. Short-haul flying has its own economics, covered in low-cost versus full-service.

Data sources and review

Reviewed 2026-07-29 by Flight-Tracker.net Editorial Team

Airbus commercial aircraft information - manufacturer specifications and family information.
Airbus A321 type identity reference - model history and identity cross-checking.

Range, seating, speed and weight describe the aircraft type, not a specific airline configuration. Published figures vary by engine, weight option and cabin layout.

Read our aircraft specification sourcing and review process, or inspect the machine-readable reference dataset.

Airbus A321 frequently asked questions

What is the range of the Airbus A321?

The Airbus A321 has a published range of about 5,950 km, cruising at roughly 840 km/h. Real-world range depends on payload, winds and reserves.

How many passengers does the Airbus A321 carry?

A typical Airbus A321 seats 185–230 passengers, though the exact number depends on how the operating airline configures its cabin.

What is the ICAO type code for the Airbus A321?

The Airbus A321 uses the ICAO type designator A321. That is the code you will see when you click this aircraft type on a live flight-tracking map.

What engines does the Airbus A321 use?

The Airbus A321 is powered by 2× CFM56-5B / V2500, with a maximum takeoff weight of about 93,500 kg and a wingspan of 35.8 m.

How do you identify an Airbus A321?

Which airlines operate the Airbus A321?

Major operators in this reference profile include American Airlines, Delta Air Lines, Turkish Airlines, Vietnam Airlines, Lufthansa. Fleets change as aircraft are delivered, stored, leased and retired, so confirm current fleets with the airline.

Which tracked flights use the Airbus A321?

Selected scheduled services in this tracker that typically use the Airbus A321 include AA1, B6007, B6615, B6033, IB341. Equipment can change on the day, so the aircraft shown for each flight is a typical assignment, not a guarantee.

Is the Airbus A321 a narrowbody or a widebody?

The Airbus A321 is a narrowbody, meaning a single aisle down the middle of the cabin. With 185–230 passengers seats and 5,950 km of range it is typically flown on short and medium-haul routes.