top of page

The content on Breitflyte Airline News Network will always be free and won’t require a subscription.  Breitflyte.com is a participant in several affiliate advertising programs designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to affiliated sites.  We may earn a commission if you click on or make a purchase through one of our links.  Thank you for supporting our affiliate advertisers. 

ADVERTISEMENT

American Airlines’ Airbus Pilots Prepares to Take the Airbus A321XLR Over the North Atlantic

During Q4 2025, the Airbus A321XLR will join American’s fleet and enter transatlantic service in 2026.  In preparation, American pilots flew an Airbus A321neo between Philadelphia and Edinburgh last month for check pilot training purposes.


From Left: American Airlines Check Pilots Carleton McQueen, Gautam Samant, Danny Ryan and Larcell Armstrong Participate in a Training Flight – Courtesy American Airlines
From Left: American Airlines Check Pilots Carleton McQueen, Gautam Samant, Danny Ryan and Larcell Armstrong Participate in a Training Flight – Courtesy American Airlines

On Friday (October 10, 2025), American Airlines announced that in preparation for the delivery of their first Airbus A321XLR, an ultra-long-range version of the A321neo, in Q4 2025, they have started preparing pilots to take the aircraft over the North Atlantic.  Between September 4th and September 25th, American conducted a series of 42 return A321neo flights between Philadelphia and Edinburgh for a group of check pilots to be trained and qualified to operate over the North Atlantic.  From there, they’ll train American’s A320 line pilots on the territory, initially from the New York pilot base.  Several of these flights involved FAA inspectors so the initial eight check pilots could be qualified.  After that, the first group of check pilots qualified the rest of the group.


In Friday’s announcement, American’s Airbus A320 Fleet Captain, Josh Hall, said,


“These training flights were a huge success.  This effort sets us up nicely to begin training our line pilots to fly the A321XLR over the North Atlantic, and it was only made possible by the hard work and professionalism of our check pilots, the FAA and our A320 flight training and fleet technical teams.”


As previously mentioned, American Airlines will deploy the A321XLR on transatlantic routes from 2026.  The aircraft has a range of up to 4,700 nautical miles, opening up a world of new opportunities for American and their expansive network. 


This also means new procedures and regions of the world for the airline’s pilots to learn.  Last September’s training flights focused on a number of unique aspects of flying across the North Atlantic.  For example, the North Atlantic Track system is a highway in the sky that changes daily based on wind conditions.  Additionally, air traffic control operations in this region are a non-radar environment, so controllers who oversee the airspace rely on position reports sent from aircraft (either automatically or via voice).  A320 pilots will also be communicating over different types of radios than they use domestically, and will sometimes use satellites to communicate with ATC.  Naturally, A320 pilots will also need to learn about suitable diversion airports in the North Atlantic.


American Airlines Airbus A321XLR at a Glance - Courtesy American Airlines
American Airlines Airbus A321XLR at a Glance - Courtesy American Airlines

American Airlines (NASDAQ: AAL) offers thousands of flights daily to over 350 destinations in more than 60 countries.  The airline is a founding member of the oneworld alliance, whose member airlines serve over 900 destinations worldwide.  American Airlines’ mission is To Care for People on Life’s Journey®.


 

Source: American Airlines

bottom of page