AirAsia Orders 50 Airbus A321XLR Jets in $12.25 Billion Deal

AirAsia, the airline arm of Malaysia-listed Capital A, has placed a firm order for 50 Airbus A321XLR aircraft valued at about $12.25 billion at list prices. The agreement includes rights to convert or add a further 20 of the long-range single-aisle jets, with the first delivery scheduled for 2028, Capital A Chief Executive Officer Tony Fernandes said. The deal follows earlier negotiations to convert part of AirAsia’s existing narrow-body backlog to the A321XLR, which can fly up to 4,700 nautical miles and would allow the low-cost carrier to open longer routes across Asia and Australia. Fernandes added that the company is also in discussions with two aircraft manufacturers on a separate order of as many as 150 additional jets and is reviewing, but not cancelling, its current commitments for Airbus A330 wide-body planes.