United Announces Order for 50 New Airbus A321XLR Planes

United Airlines announced Tuesday it has placed an order for 50 new Airbus A321XLR aircraft.

Officials from United said the order with Airbus would allow the airline to begin replacing and retiring its existing fleet of Boeing 757-200 aircraft, as well as improving operations by using the A321XLR on select transatlantic routes.

The new Airbus will allow United to serve additional destinations in Europe from its East Coast hubs in Newark/New York and Washington, with the planes expected to be introduced into international service in 2024.

“The new Airbus A321XLR aircraft is an ideal one-for-one replacement for the older, less-efficient aircraft currently operating between some of the most vital cities in our intercontinental network,” United chief commercial officer Andrew Nocella said in a statement.

“In addition to strengthening our ability to fly more efficiently, the A321XLR’s range capabilities open potential new destinations to further develop our route network and provide customers with more options to travel the globe,” Nocella continued.

The A321XLR features modern amenities such as LED lighting, larger overhead bin space and Wi-Fi connectivity, in addition to lowering overall fuel burn per seat by about 30 percent when compared to the previous generation aircraft.

United is working to reduce its carbon footprint by 50 percent relative to 2005 levels by 2050.

Airline officials expect to take the first delivery of the A321XLR in 2024 and will defer the delivery of its order of Airbus A350s until 2027.