On this episode of Ab Talk, aviation journalist John Walton joins us from the Paris Air Show to discuss

Airbus's launch of the A321 XLR and the importance of IAG's order for 200 737 max aircraft.

We also discuss a recent GPS issue that grounded some flights. Hello and I am Ian Petchenik joined with Jason Rabininowitz and we are joined by special guest aviation journalist John Walton from Paris at the Paris Air Show. John welcome to the show.

Thank you. It's a delight to be back.

Hey John welcome back.

How is it going out in Paris this year?

Really interestingly, obviously this year's main topic has been the situation with Boeing in the

737 Max, but also the Airbus A321 XLR, the retanked, re-engined, re-ranged version of

Air Air Force's stretched narrow body. So yeah, really interesting show this year. version of Air

Air devices a stretched narrow body. So yeah, really interesting show this year.

So what is the difference between the A321 L.R. and the XLR? If you had one sentence to describe it give me the elevator pitch.

Okay this is the one that they should have done before. It is basically in addition to having the

auxiliary center tanks in what is the cargo bay they have put a rear center tank outside

the cargo bay structure they've also upgraded the landing gear to make it heavier

as a amount in terms of maximum takeoff weight which gives it more fuel range

changed around some of the flaps but the basic aircraft really still is the A321

Neo just with longer legs. So this is the 321 Neo-L-R, but for real this time. Yeah, exactly. Now if you want the full

4700 nautical mile range, that's up for from 4000 a lot of miles on the plane L.R.

You have to fill both the rear center tank, which is the new thing they've built,

and the auxiliary center tanks, which is what made up the L.R.

Very nice and there was definitely a lot of interest in this so far.

I think that the biggest order so far was American with an order for 50 of them starting delivery with 8 in 2023 who are the other big buyers of it

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