Canadian carrier Air Transat has landed its first transatlantic flight to the UK operated by the Airbus A321neoLR single-aisle aircraft.
The airline claims to be the first to operate a transatlantic service to the UK using the new aircraft and the first to bring one to Gatwick.
The flight from Toronto Pearson airport arrived at Gatwick on 8 October. The A321neoLR is due to enter Air Transat’s daily service on a regular basis in November and will also debut at Glasgow on 31 October.
According to Air Transat, the A321neoLR consumes more than 15 per cent less fuel, generates 50 per cent less noise in the cabin and for communities surrounding airports, produces 5,000 fewer tonnes of CO2 per year and lowers NOX emissions by 50 per cent when compared to previous generation Airbus aircraft.
Air Transat has configured the aircraft with a newly re-designed 12-seat Club Class premium economy cabin. Each seat is made with natural leather, a leg rest and 13-inch touch-screen in-flight entertainment screens.
In Economy, the airline has introduced wider seats upholstered in leather, featuring 10-inch touch screens and USB ports for charging electronic devices.
Adrian Keating, commercial director UK and Ireland, commented: “We’re delighted that our valued customers in the UK and Ireland are now able to experience our state-of-the-art A321neoLR aircraft on our routes from London Gatwick and, in the near future, from Glasgow too.”
The first of Air Transat’s A321neoLRs joined its fleet in May 2019, with a total of 15 set to be delivered by 2022.
Air Transat’s transatlantic flight comes after US carrier Jetblue announced it is planning to launch services to London from New York and Boston in 2021 using the A321neoLR.
airtransat.com