A recent trend in the aviation industry has been technological advancements that enable aircraft to fly longer distances directly. While this seems a natural evolution for long-haul widebody aircraft, this evolution is also happening among narrowbody aircraft. With the latest variants of the Boeing 737 MAX and Airbus A320neo family aircraft being able to operate transatlantic flights directly, with the latter pushing the envelope of narrowbody operations, it is interesting to see how and why the popularity of such operations is gaining among airlines.

However, it is worth noting that this concept is not new, and the newest aircraft, such as the Airbus A321XLR, are replacements for the original long-haul narrowbody aircraft.

Why Is It Becoming Popular Among Airlines?

First and foremost, the aviation industry is highly competitive across most markets, and profit margins are extremely thin. This is why many airlines streamline their operations and maintain efficiency across their businesses. This is why previously low-cost carriers and airlines that exclusively operate narrowbody aircraft could not compete with airlines that operate widebody aircraft and can operate long-haul flights directly. Simultaneously, there are not many low-cost carriers operating long-haul flights either, which means a portion of the flying population may not have been able to afford long-haul travel previously.

However, with the advent of long-haul narrowbody operations by technologically advanced aircraft such as the A321XLR and the 737 MAX 8, it became possible for these airlines to compete with traditional carriers and their widebody operations. With the efficiency and economics offered by these new aircraft, airlines are able to offer long-haul services onboard their narrowbody fleet at reduced costs, making it possible for more passengers to travel to these long-distance markets, while also enabling the airline to stay flexible with the capacity deployed to match the seasonality on a particular route or market.

At the World Travel Market, TAP Air Portugal’s Sales Director, Fredric Gossot, spoke to Simple Flying about the A321LR’s role.

« In our long-haul fleet, we have the A330-900 and we have the A321LR. And this allowed us to serve destinations in the northeast of Brazil or on the east coast of the US, or Canada. »

« The A321LR also helps us serve some smaller destinations or destinations where there is little bit less demand during the winter. So, it’s absolutely perfect for us. You swap out the A330 for the A321LR during the slower Months. »

Flashback: A Look At The Boeing 757

Having first flown in 1982 and entered commercial service in 1983, the 757 was an extremely successful aircraft at its time, capable of carrying more passengers than the likes of other narrowbody aircraft such as the 737, while also having the ability to operate longer distances. While production of the type ended in 2004 and many examples are retired, a considerable number are still flying today, mainly in the United States.

One might wonder, how come they are still flying today? The main reason is that when Boeing ended 757 production, the market was left without a suitable replacement for an aircraft capable of carrying similar passenger numbers and achieving similar ranges, which made airlines hold on to these aircraft.

While these ranges vary by aircraft configuration and engine option, these are the maximum ranges specified by Boeing in their aircraft specification document.

Largest Operators Of The Boeing 757

As mentioned previously, the 757 program, despite being axed by Boeing in 2004, is still actively flying today, and most of these aircraft are operating in the US. Therefore, it comes as no surprise that the largest operator of the aircraft type is the US-based carrier, Delta Air Lines. For that matter, the second-largest fleet is also based in the US with United Airlines.

It is worth pointing out that Delta’s 757 fleet with over 120 examples of the type is twice the size of United’s fleet, with the majority of both their fleet comprising the smaller 757-200 variant rather than the 757-300. Delta and United have configured their 757s as follows.

Both aircraft variants have been configured with three cabin classes, and Delta has also specified their operating ranges by configuration. According to the airline’s published figures, the 757-300 has a range of 3,285 nautical miles (5,287 km), while its smaller 757-200s (depending on the configuration) have a range of 3,370 nautical miles (5,424 km) to 4,705 nautical miles (7,572 km).

Comparing With The MAX & NEO Aircraft

The 737 MAX and the A320neo family are the latest-generation models of the two most popular narrowbody aircraft in the world. While these aircraft replace their aging predecessors, the advancements made in the past few decades have made them extremely efficient to operate, and some variants also have operational ranges sufficient for long-haul flights.

Thus, these aircraft are popular because they have a strong customer base among airlines that operate previous models of the MAX and neo families, and they have gained the attention of airlines looking to enter the narrowbody long-haul market and replace their Boeing 757s. As per Airbus and Boeing technical specifications, this is how they compare with the 757.

Of course, these figures vary depending on the airline’s configuration preferences, as seen in the case of Delta above. It is also worth noting that Boeing has an aircraft currently pending certification, the 737 MAX 7, which will be slightly smaller with a maximum two-class configuration of 153 passengers but capable of operating up to ranges of 3,800 nautical miles (7,040 km). In the past decade, it has become increasingly common to see these new narrowbody aircraft operate long sectors, with the A321XLR only entering commercial service last year, opening up new markets for airlines.

Popularity Of The Long-Haul Narrowbody Aircraft

With an increasing number of airlines inducting more of these aircraft into their fleets, there is no doubt that airlines find them attractive. The ability to operate long-haul services at such operational economics provides the operator with a competitive advantage, as it has lower operating costs. Furthermore, these aircraft are perfect for deployment on long routes with low demand, where widebody aircraft certainly will not have sufficient load factors to make the route financially viable.

Airlines are also consciously investing in better onboard products, amenities, and services on these aircraft, mainly to ensure customers remain comfortable on long journeys, but also to compete with carriers that use widebody aircraft on similar routes. This is especially true with carriers offering lie-flat seats in their premium cabins, as one would expect on widebody aircraft configured for long-haul services.

While these aircraft have entered transcontinental markets, it is also common to find them being operated on busy intercontinental markets, such as the busy and lucrative Transatlantic corridor, with the likes of JetBlue, Air Canadaand Air Transat using A321LRs and 737 MAX 8s to fly from North America to Europe, while carriers such as Aer Lingus, Iberia and TAP Air Portugal using such aircraft to connect Europe to North America. Often, these aircraft are used to complement the airline’s other widebody operations on the same route, where the airline has access to slots but not enough demand to fill a widebody aircraft.

Looking At Orders & Deliveries

For context, Boeing’s published order and delivery numbers indicate that just over a thousand 757s were delivered to customers worldwide across all variants, and to date, fewer than 20% of these aircraft remain active, namely with Delta and United Airlines. While this is impressive, compared to the newer NEO and MAX aircraft, it shows the latter family is far more popular.

As of the end of November, data published by Airbus indicates that over 7,000 orders have been received for the A321neo, which includes the LR and the XLR variants, of which there is still a backlog of over five thousand aircraft. On the other hand, data from Boeing indicates that over two thousand MAX aircraft (-8s and -9s) have been delivered to date and that there is a backlog of over 4,700 MAX aircraft still to be delivered. This, of course, also includes orders for the yet-to-be-certified MAX 7s and MAX 10s. Thus, it can be concluded that the number of long-range narrowbody aircraft entering the market will only increase, and soon, more operators around the world will be able to tap into new markets and operate flights that were previously not possible due to operational efficiencies or financial viability.

Considering the age, both Delta and United are gradually phasing out its 757s, and thus it is no surprise that both airlines have put in orders for the neo and MAX aircraft, however, it is worth noting that their long-haul narrowbody operations are somewhat limited, primarily because both carriers have some of the largest fleet sizes in the world and a considerable portion of their fleets are made up of widebody aircraft which is utilized to fly all around the world. That being said, the two carriers can rely on these long-range narrowbody aircraft to tap into new markets or complement their existing long-haul destinations across their networks.