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AirAsia Berhad signed a landmark agreement with Airbus for the purchase of 50 A321XLRs on Saturday, 5th July.

The signing in Paris between Capital A chief executive Tony Fernandes and his counterpart at Airbus Commercial Aircraft Christian Scherer was witnessed by Malaysian Prime Minister of Malaysia Anwar Ibrahim.

The purchase’s total value is at US$12.25 billion and also includes rights for 20 A321XLRs, and the aircraft are scheduled for delivery between 2028 and 2032.

With this agreement, the airline takes a major step towards becoming the world’s first low-cost narrow-body network carrier, anchored by its multi-hub strategy. 

Taking Asian aviation to the next level.

Fernandes pointed out that AirAsia pioneered low-cost travel and Asia and is now set to take the sector to the next level.

He said: “AirAsia is on a transformative journey to become the world’s first low-cost network carrier. This is about exponential growth, connecting geographies beyond Asean, and making flying even more democratic. We gave people in ASEAN the opportunity to explore Asia; now, we want the world to see ASEAN, and ASEAN to see the world. The A321XLR and A321LR are the game-changers enabling this vision, and we are proud to lead the charge in making our world smaller. We can’t wait to paint the skies even wider in red.”

For his part, Scherer expressed pleasure over the confirmation of the agreement, as well as over becoming part of the next phase of AirAsia’s development.

Scherer said: “Having resumed its growth trajectory, which we salute and support, AirAsia is creating solid fleet efficiencies, allowing global network expansion. The A321XLR unlocks new opportunities for AirAsia to launch non-stop flights linking primary and secondary cities all around the globe.”

The next-generation A321XLRs will operate alongside AirAsia’s all-Airbus fleet of A320 Family and A330 aircraft, supporting its long-term strategy to deliver unmatched connectivity across Asia and beyond, whilst maintaining a low-cost model through improved route economics, enhanced aircraft utilisation and fleet efficiency. 

AirAsia Group aims to carry 150 million guests annually by 2030, reaching a cumulative total of 1.5 billion guests since inception.

The new fleet plays a pivotal role in this transformation as AirAsia’s multi-aircraft strategy enables the airline to match capacity with demand, reduce fuel consumption, and support a sustainable, cost-effective growth model in a highly competitive global landscape. 

The A321XLR also offers up to 20 percent lower fuel burn per seat than the Airbus A321neo aircraft, significantly improving emissions performance and operating efficiency.

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