Italy’s national airline, ITA Airways, has been nicely refreshing its fleet, as the airline has dozens of new aircraft on order. The airline has just taken delivery of its first Airbus A321neo, and the onboard product is a very pleasant surprise.
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ITA Airways has nine Airbus A321neos on order
ITA Airways has nine Airbus A321neos on order, and the first such aircraft has just joined ITA Airways’ fleet. The plane has the registration code EI-HXA, and flew on November 10, 2023, from Hamburg to Rome for its delivery flight. The aircraft is being leased from Air Lease Corporation, hence the Irish registration code (based on the “EI” prefix).
A321neos feature great fuel economy and range, and are used by airlines in all kinds of markets. They can efficiently be used for short haul flights, and can also efficiently be used for longer flights.
A vast majority of European airlines have just used A321neos to improve economics on short haul flights, by lowering unit costs. British Airways, Lufthansa, etc., have been using these aircraft on the same routes where they use other Airbus A320-family aircraft.
However, ITA Airways has different plans for its Airbus A321neos, as the airline intends to use these planes for medium haul routes in premium markets, with a particular focus on the Middle East. For what it’s worth, these planes don’t have the range to fly across the Atlantic from Rome (FCO).
ITA A321neos are in a three cabin configuration
ITA Airways’ Airbus A321neos are in a special configuration, very different than the A321neos operated by any other European airline. They have just 165 seats, spread across three cabins, as follows:
- Business class consists of 12 seats in a 1-1 configuration, spread across six rows; these are reverse herringbone seats with 17.3″ personal entertainment screens, and the first row even has significantly more space, and might just be the world’s most impressive narrow body business class seat
- Premium economy consists of 12 seats in a 2-2 configuration, spread across three rows, with 15.6″ personal entertainment screens; these are the same premium economy seats that ITA has on long haul flights
- Economy consists of 141 seats in a 3-3 configuration, spread across 24 rows (with the last row only having seats on one side), with 13.3″ personal entertainment screens; there are also 12 economy seats with extra legroom
This might just be the snazziest narrow body jet we’ve seen from any airline, in terms of both business class and premium economy. The airline offers a lovely experience on its Airbus A350-900s and Airbus A330-900neos, so it’s nice to see this now extending to the Airbus A321neo.
Planned ITA Airways A321neo routes
As mentioned above, the A321neo doesn’t have the range to efficiently fly across the Atlantic from Rome, so the focus is on largely offering service to the Middle East. In 2024, ITA Airways is planning a big expansion, and intends to start flying to Accra (ACC), Dakar (DSS), Jeddah (JED), Kuwait (KWI), Riyadh (RUH), and Tel Aviv (TLV), and the intent is for most of these routes to be operated by A321neos.
In December 2023, it looks like the A321neo will operate select frequencies to London (LHR), presumably for crew familiarization. Then the plan is for the plane to start flying to Tel Aviv as of January 2024, though I have to imagine that is likely to change.
Bottom line
ITA Airways has taken delivery of its first Airbus A321neo. The airline should be taking delivery of nine of these jets in the near future, and they’ll be used primarily to operate flights between Rome and the Middle East.
ITA’s Airbus A321neo interiors are ridiculously impressive. This includes reverse herringbone seats in business class (including a first row with even more space), plus a proper premium economy product.
What do you make of ITA’s Airbus A321neos?
Hey Ben
Flying A321 neo on ITA right now. 3rd flight on this bird... J cabin hard product is amazing. Soft touches (aka amenities) are lacking but still pretty amazing for a short haul (fco-cdg)!!
Here the new interiors
https://italiavola.com/2023/11/13/la321neo-ita-airways-visto-da-dentro/
This reminds me of British Airways' ex-BMI A321's, which, much like these ITA A321neo's, had a superior hard product (in both classes) and were used on medium-haul flights.
Business class seats that FACE THE WINDOW!!! Woo hoo!!!
This is MEGA important for any European travellers. If you want other airlines to be convinced to have US/Asia style narrowbody business class seats, use these routes.
The thing is, ITA doesn't plan on using these on intra european routes - they will be used on medium haul routes to the Middle East etc.
I don't think we will ever see european airlines going to a US/Asia style separate product for a few reasons.
1) There is no competitive pressure to do it.
2) Low Cost airlines and high speed rail dominate intra europe travel and the market just is...
The thing is, ITA doesn't plan on using these on intra european routes - they will be used on medium haul routes to the Middle East etc.
I don't think we will ever see european airlines going to a US/Asia style separate product for a few reasons.
1) There is no competitive pressure to do it.
2) Low Cost airlines and high speed rail dominate intra europe travel and the market just is not there for high spending passengers that will pay a significant premium to sit in business class for one or two hours. The product only really seems to exist to be able to sell a full business class itinerary via an airlines hub. For example, I flew Madrid - Mexico City via Amsterdam in KLM. EVERY single passenger in business class was connecting beyond AMS on a KLM long haul flight (we were delayed and the purser come spoke to each individual passenger about their connection). Ditto when I flew Manchester, UK - New York via LHR on BA. Everyone is flying onwards and almost no one is paying the premium to travel in Business Class.
3) The current set up gives the airlines ultimate flexibility on each aircraft to adjust the business class configuration as necessary.
You also need to consider that the demand for business class for those traveling within Europe is low because it is not a premium product. If the product were premium, such as we have here in the US, perhaps those traveling within Europe would be able to justify paying a premium fare. In fact, the airline industry has recently seen high demand for premium products so I suspect this would also be true in Europe if such a product existed.
But the issue remains - what is more profitable for airlines? Having a product that is space efficient and where they can completely control the business class config flight by flight or a product that will potentially allow them to charge more yet they lost floor space, seat count and flexibility.
For some airlines, the former works. Turkish is hailed as the only 'european' (and no I do not want to start a debate as...
But the issue remains - what is more profitable for airlines? Having a product that is space efficient and where they can completely control the business class config flight by flight or a product that will potentially allow them to charge more yet they lost floor space, seat count and flexibility.
For some airlines, the former works. Turkish is hailed as the only 'european' (and no I do not want to start a debate as to whether Turkey is in europe or not ;-) ) that has fixed business class seats. But in reality, their 737's fly sectors of up to six or seven hours so the business case is there. With some exceptions european airlines only roster their short haul aircraft on flights up to 5/5.5hr.
Nearly every other european airline that has came out with a 'real' business class seat for short haul flights to differentiate itself from the competition has resorted to getting rid of them and following the euro crowd with eurobusiness (ie Aegean, Air Serbia). Purely because the economics didn't stack up.
Different things work in different markets. Like a european passenger flying domestically in the US would be stoked at the idea of getting a 'proper' seat but flabbergasted at not being able to use the Business Class lounge pre flight or receiving a basket of snacks as a 'meal'.
That cabin layout sounds somewhat similar to SAS A321LR, just with different business class seats and higher density.
I'm guessing these are leased aircraft since they carry an Irish registration.
All of ITA’s fleet is registered in Ireland. Most of Alitalia’s was too (at least in later years). Leasing does not preclude registering in the lessee’s home country. KLM’s leases have PH regs, Air Canada’s have C’s.
Primary issue with Italy is it signed but never ratified the Cape Town Convention which created international standards for contracts involving high-value mobile items - covers things like planes, trains, and mining equipment. So in the event...
All of ITA’s fleet is registered in Ireland. Most of Alitalia’s was too (at least in later years). Leasing does not preclude registering in the lessee’s home country. KLM’s leases have PH regs, Air Canada’s have C’s.
Primary issue with Italy is it signed but never ratified the Cape Town Convention which created international standards for contracts involving high-value mobile items - covers things like planes, trains, and mining equipment. So in the event an Italian airline stops a paying a lessor or goes belly-up, it’s a whole lot more time and effort for the lessor to reclaim the asset.
Other reason is taxes, it’s just cheaper to register in Ireland
I think that it would be weird is if ITA decided to install those doored reverse-herringbone narrowbody products on the A321neo, it would basically be better than their A330neos & the A350s. But a 1-1 configuration on the A321neo is always amazing so can't complain about that!
Do the ITA A321neo only have the front, rear doors and over wing exit like an A320?
Yep. Airlines with a low-density configuration on their A321neo's have this door configuration because, well, they don't need to evacuate as many people in case of an emergency (The exit limit is lower with this A320-style config).
I'm pretty sure there up to 5 or 6 possible exit door configurations on the A321neo, depending on the number of seats and thus the exit limit. https://leehamnews.com/2015/01/18/a321neo-configurations-and-a320-production/