Qantas to add Airbus A321XLRs with lie-flat Business Class

Qantas is set to significantly upgrade its narrow-body offering, with a fresh order for 20 Airbus A321XLRs – 16 of which will feature a full international fit-out. Expect lie-flat Business Class seats and the return of in-seat entertainment screens for every passenger on this subfleet.

The announcement comes alongside the airline’s bumper FY25 financial result, which saw an underlying profit of A$2.39 billion. These premium-configured aircraft are expected to join the fleet from 2028. Unsurprisingly, they’ll be earmarked for Perth transcontinental services as well as medium-haul international flights.

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What lie-flat seats could Qantas use on the A321XLR?

Qantas hasn’t yet revealed which Business Class seat it will select for the A321XLR. However, there are a few proven contenders in the market:

• An alternating 2-2/1-1 configuration, such as the Thompson Aero Vantage (used by Singapore Airlines on the Boeing 737 MAX 8, for example), or
• A 1-1 herringbone configuration, such as the Thompson Aero VantageSOLO (used by JetBlue on the Airbus A321neo, for example), or
• A 1-1 reverse herringbone configuration, such as the Stelia Aerospace Opera SA (used by Etihad on the Airbus A321LR, for example) – and arguably the best of the three.

Any of these would be a dramatic step up from today’s domestic recliners, making long transcontinental and medium-length international hops far more comfortable.

The Thompson Aero Vantage seat mock-up.

The Thompson Aero VantageSOLO seat mock-up.

The Stelia Aerospace Opera SA seat mock-up.

With a range of more than 3,000 kilometres greater than the Boeing 737s they’ll replace, the A321XLR opens up new possibilities for so-called “long and thin” routes into Asia. Qantas has already flagged Perth-India and Adelaide-Singapore as prime candidates. This extra capability means passengers could see more direct flights to secondary Asian cities, bypassing hubs and saving time.

What about the rest of the A321XLR fleet?

The remaining 32 A321XLRs on Qantas’ order book will continue with the airline’s standard narrow-body layout. Each will be outfitted with 20 recliner-style Business Class seats and 177 Economy seats, without seat-back screens.

However, the first three aircraft will have a slightly denser cabin with 180 Economy seats, trading one lavatory for three additional passengers. That high-density layout creates a challenging ratio of 90 Economy passengers per lavatory.

From the fourth delivery onwards, Qantas will thankfully shift to a more balanced design of 59 passengers per lavatory in Economy. We expect that the premium-heavy international subfleet will broadly mirror this ratio.

The first Qantas A321XLRs are scheduled to enter service in September 2025. They’ll debut on high-frequency domestic trunk routes, such as Sydney-Melbourne and Sydney-Perth.