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By Bjorn Fehrm

September 19, 2024, © Leeham News: We examine the high-volume short-to-medium-range market and check whether a route previously reserved for the Airbus A330 can be flown with a fleet of A321XLRs. At equal per-passenger operational costs, doubling the frequency is advantageous and can drive market growth, revenue, and margin.

After comparing passenger only operating costs, such as per seat mile Cash Operating Costs (COC), we add cargo to the mix. To compare efficiency, we then need to do a route margin comparison.

Summary:

• When we add cargo to the revenue mix, the A321XLR's limited cargo capability makes it a less attractive alternative for routes with cargo traffic.
• The A321XLR is still an interesting alternative for routes with few cargo opportunities and where route frequency can motivate higher passenger yields.