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14 At the media event , a large number of Iberia employees were able to visit the aircraft for the first time . On the Airways social media channels , the event attracted several millions of views , highlighting the importance of this launch .
15 A close-up nose shot of Iberia ’ s first Airbus A321XLR as it prepares for a test flight , showing off the carrier ’ s red-andyellow livery . // DIRK GROTHE - XFW
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The primary difference is that the XLR does not feature a Premium Economy cabin , leaving passengers with only two class options : Business and Economy . However , as the narrow-body jet will primarily be used on flights lasting less than 11 hours , the absence of a Premium Economy cabin is not considered a significant drawback , as this class is typically preferred on longer flights that , in any case , require wide-body aircraft due to range limitations . However , other airlines have successfully installed Premium Economy cabins on their A321neo planes , including Scandinavian Airlines |
on seven- to eight-hour transatlantic flights and ITA Airways on flights to the Middle East , which last under five hours .
Regarding the interior layout , the Iberia Airbus A321XLR features 14 Thompson Aero VantageSOLO Business Class seats and 168 Recaro R3 Economy Class ones . The airline has ensured that inflight comfort remains comparable to that enjoyed on its wide-body aircraft . Each seat offers an 18-inch width and an average 30-inch pitch . The inflight entertainment system is equipped with a 12-inch screen
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displaying 4K quality images and includes Bluetooth connectivity for passengers who wish to use their own headphones .
While the comfort of passengers remains largely unchanged , the smaller size of the airplane raises concerns about that of the crew . The aviation community has highlighted the reduced size of the galleys and the absence of a dedicated crew rest area , a feature typically found on wide-body aircraft . Currently , Iberia requires only crews made up of two Pilots and four Flight Attendants to operate the seven-hour flights .
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