JetBlue takes delivery of Airbus A321LR that will soon fly to London
JetBlue is another step toward launching its service to London. Airbus announced on Thursday that JetBlue has taken delivery of its first A321LR, which will eventually operate the carrier's transatlantic routes.
In total, JetBlue has 13 of the long-range Airbus A321 aircraft on order. Thursday's delivery marks the first of those to be delivered to the New York-based airline.
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Registered as N4022J, JetBlue received the aircraft at Airbus' Hamburg factory, with the plane featuring the airline's "streamers" tail. Currently, it's en route back to the U.S., according to data from FlightRadar24 — presumably to the airline's hub in New York.
The airline plans to launch flights between New York (JFK) and Boston (BOS) to an undisclosed London airport — or airports — later this year. JetBlue has secured slots at both London Heathrow (LHR) and London Gatwick (LGW). If JetBlue does in fact begin flights to Heathrow, it would operate in and out of Terminal 2.
Inside the A321LR, passengers can expect Airbus' Airspace cabins on the single-aisle aircraft. The Airspace interior features customizable lighting, slimmer wall panels, larger overhead bins and more. JetBlue will outfit the plane with 24 lie-flat suites in its Mint business-class cabin — both the Mint Suite and Mint Studio — and 114 seats in economy.
Related: First look: JetBlue's brand-new Mint Suite, Mint Studio business class
The Mint Studio and Mint Suite products will be a noticeable upgrade from the carrier's existing Mint cabin, which largely fly on transcontinental routes, and is considered by many to be the best domestic premium product in the U.S.
Economy seats feature 32 inches of pitch on seats that are 18.4 inches wide. In economy, JetBlue has also announced its catering partner, Dig, which will allow passengers to build their own meal using the seatback entertainment screen. All passengers, regardless of cabin, will be able to use JetBlue's free high-speed Wi-Fi, in-seat power and seatback entertainment.
Related: JetBlue's planning to serve some pretty incredible food on economy flights to London
"At JetBlue we are eagerly looking forward to introducing the Airbus A321 Long Range single-aisle aircraft with Airbus' Airspace interior for our new transatlantic services," JetBlue CEO Robin Hayes said in a statement. "These aircraft will allow us to offer our customers attentive, boutique-style service, while also ensuring ample personal space, larger overhead bins, customized lighting and a design that gives the cabin a wide-body feel."
The A321LR aircraft is a longer-range variant of the airline's existing fleet of A321neo aircraft. The LR version has a range of 4,700 miles, allowing it to operate the transatlantic routes from the U.S. East Coast to London — and perhaps beyond to other destinations in Europe.
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