IndiGo launches world's longest A321XLR flight

Dhaka: IndiGo has started operating the world's longest Airbus A321XLR flight on October 25, covering roughly 4,250 miles from Mumbai to Amsterdam.

The Airbus narrow-body replaces the Boeing 787-9 Dreamliners on the nonstop daily service, putting its long-range capabilities to the test.

Indigo's A321XLRs carry 195 passengers, compared with 338 seats on the 787-9, a reduction of 143 seats, or about 42%.

Despite operating one of the longest narrow-body routes in commercial aviation, the carrier's A321XLRs reportedly have no built-in entertainment screens, which has raised concerns among travelers on social media.

The introduction of the A321XLR on the Mumbai-Amsterdam route follows IndiGo's decision to move away from the 787s leased from Norse Atlantic Airways, as higher operating costs and longer routings complicated its European operations.

The A321XLR allows the airline to maintain the Amsterdam service with a smaller aircraft while it awaits its own Airbus A350 wide-body fleet.