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Qantas Begins A321XLR Flights, Commits to Extra Toilet After Criticism

The long‑range jets begin the carrier’s 737 replacement with fuel‑saving performance that enables new domestic and short‑haul international routes.

Overview

  • Qantas placed two Airbus A321XLRs—VH‑OGA Great Ocean Road and VH‑OGB Outback Way—into revenue service on September 25 on SydneyMelbourne and SydneyPerth.
  • The airline is the first in the Asia‑Pacific to operate the A321XLR and the fourth worldwide.
  • The initial 200‑seat layout has three lavatories, leaving economy with one for every 90 passengers; Qantas says future deliveries will include a fourth toilet from December and the early jets will be retrofitted.
  • Qantas has 48 A321XLRs on order, with 16 to feature lie‑flat business seats; a third aircraft is due in November and seven are planned to be in service by mid‑2026.
  • The type’s roughly 8,700‑kilometre range—about 3,000 km more than the 737‑800—supports new nonstop options into Southeast Asia and the Pacific, with wider seats, free Wi‑Fi and overhead bins about 60% larger than current 737s.