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Air Data News • Ricardo Meier

Air Canada takes delivery of first Airbus A321XLR on lease from SMBC Aviation Capital, launching long-range narrowbody expansion

Air Canada has received its first Airbus A321XLR in Hamburg on a lease from SMBC Aviation Capital, marking the start of a long-range narrowbody era. The carrier expects the remaining 29 A321XLRs (of 30 total) to enter service before decade-end, supporting transatlantic and transcontinental route plans.

2026-04-24T09:22:47.323524-07:00

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Shohin Airlines (Tajikistan) to acquire Airbus A320neo-family aircraft

2026-04-24T01:07:17.038276-07:00

AirInsight

LOT defends A220 order amid engine reliability concerns, citing “right market fit” and long-term network growth

2026-04-24T00:56:01.704711-07:00

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Philippine Airlines: no A350-1000 or A320neo-family delivery deferrals in 2026

2026-04-23T16:49:40.952540-07:00

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Breitflyte

Airbus Mobile, Alabama marks 10 years since first U.S.-built delivery Airbus is marking the 10th anniversary of the first aircraft delivered from its U.S. manufacturing facility in Mobile, Alabama. The inaugural U.S.-assembled jet—a JetBlue A321 dubbed “BluesMobile”—was handed over on April 25, 2016, underscoring the site’s role in Airbus’s U.S. production footprint.

2026-04-24T18:53:07.702778-07:00

Airbus Mobile, Alabama marks 10 years since first U.S.-built delivery

Air Data News

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Air Canada takes delivery of first Airbus A321XLR on lease from SMBC Aviation Capital, launching long-range narrowbody expansion Air Canada has received its first Airbus A321XLR in Hamburg on a lease from SMBC Aviation Capital, marking the start of a long-range narrowbody era. The carrier expects the remaining 29 A321XLRs (of 30 total) to enter service before decade-end, supporting transatlantic and transcontinental route plans.

2026-04-24T09:22:47.323524-07:00

Air Canada takes delivery of first Airbus A321XLR on lease from SMBC Aviation Capital, launching long-range narrowbody expansion

ch-aviation

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Shohin Airlines (Tajikistan) to acquire Airbus A320neo-family aircraft Tajikistan’s Shohin Airlines plans to acquire Airbus A320neo-family jets, positioning the carrier to renew its narrowbody fleet with a next-generation Airbus model. The move underscores continued A320neo-family uptake among operators beyond the largest global carriers.

2026-04-24T01:07:17.038276-07:00

Shohin Airlines (Tajikistan) to acquire Airbus A320neo-family aircraft

AirInsight

LOT defends A220 order amid engine reliability concerns, citing “right market fit” and long-term network growth LOT Polish Airlines says its A220 decision is a “right market fit,” defending the order despite persistent engine reliability concerns. The carrier frames the jet as enabling capacity expansion and a longer-term network strategy, positioning the aircraft as central to its development plan.

2026-04-24T00:56:01.704711-07:00

LOT defends A220 order amid engine reliability concerns, citing “right market fit” and long-term network growth

ch-aviation

Philippine Airlines: no A350-1000 or A320neo-family delivery deferrals in 2026 Philippine Airlines says it will not defer five Airbus A350-1000 deliveries in 2026, nor four A320-200/A321-200N deliveries, expecting aircraft to arrive roughly on time. The statement, attributed to president Richard Nuttall, was made during an on-stage interview at Aviation Festival Asia in Singapore in late March 2026.

2026-04-23T16:49:40.952540-07:00

Philippine Airlines: no A350-1000 or A320neo-family delivery deferrals in 2026

DefenseNews.com

European air forces set performance benchmarks for Future Combat Air System next-gen fighter development Three European air forces have approved performance benchmarks that will be used to narrow design options as the Future Combat Air System (FCAS) moves through subsequent development stages. The milestone sets clearer yardsticks for platform trade-offs at a critical point in the program’s evolution.

2026-04-23T15:24:31.188631-07:00

European air forces set performance benchmarks for Future Combat Air System next-gen fighter development

Runway Girl

Gilat targets Airbus line-fit catalog approval for electronically steered antenna hardware Gilat Satellite Networks says it is optimistic its electronically steerable antenna (ESA) hardware will become “linefit offerable” as Airbus moves toward a more modular aircraft configuration. The outcome would position Gilat’s multi-orbit inflight connectivity terminals for easier OEM integration rather than retrofit-only pathways.

2026-04-23T08:49:54.576111-07:00

Gilat targets Airbus line-fit catalog approval for electronically steered antenna hardware

Paddle Your Own Kanoo

Packed Airbus A320 returns to Malta after captain discovers first officer still in training A Malta-to-Paris Charles de Gaulle Airbus A320 departed with a first officer who was still in training, according to the report. The captain realized the mismatch only after takeoff, prompting an unscheduled return to Malta.

2026-04-23T08:25:49.933106-07:00

Packed Airbus A320 returns to Malta after captain discovers first officer still in training

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Airbus News

Air Canada takes delivery of first Airbus A321XLR on lease from SMBC Aviation Capital, launching long-range narrowbody expansion

Shohin Airlines (Tajikistan) to acquire Airbus A320neo-family aircraft

LOT defends A220 order amid engine reliability concerns, citing “right market fit” and long-term network growth

Philippine Airlines: no A350-1000 or A320neo-family delivery deferrals in 2026

News Timeline