American Pilots Prepare For A321XLR

American Airlines has accomplished a series of transatlantic training flights meant to get pilots prepared for the Airbus A321XLR.

Between Sept. 4 and 25, a gaggle of American verify pilots flew 42 flights between Philadelphia and Edinburgh, Scotland, utilizing an A321neo.

American primarily makes use of its A320-family plane on routes inside the U.S. and Canada, however the A321XLR, which the airline will begin working subsequent yr, has a variety of as much as 4,700 nautical miles, opening up new potential locations.

For that cause, pilots have to be educated in new areas, together with the North Atlantic.

A gaggle of eight verify pilots flew with FAA inspectors so that they may very well be educated and certified to function the A321 over the North Atlantic. The eight then educated the remainder of the verify pilot cohort, and now this bigger group will begin coaching American’s A320-family line pilots, initially from American’s New York pilot base.

The coaching the verify pilots acquired targeted on flight procedures distinctive to the North Atlantic, the usage of radios totally different from these used on home flights, and appropriate diversion airports within the area.

“These coaching flights had been an enormous success,” stated Capt. Josh Corridor, American’s A320 fleet captain, in a information launch. “This effort units us up properly to start coaching our line pilots to fly the A321XLR over the North Atlantic, and it was solely made potential by the arduous work and professionalism of our verify pilots, the FAA, and our A320 flight coaching and fleet technical groups.”

The airline has not stated which transatlantic routes the plane will serve, although extra particulars shall be shared “quickly.”

Supply of American’s first A321XLR is expected by the end of 2025. Initially, the plane will fly between New York and Los Angeles earlier than being deployed in long-haul markets.