In early March, American Airlines made history by becoming the first North American airline to have scheduled transatlantic flights on the Airbus A321XLR. Other operators include Air Canada (whose first flight launches soon), Aer Lingus, and Iberia. Meanwhile, Wizz Air recently obtained permission to begin charter flights to the US for the World Cup, but it is unclear if it will begin them.
OAG data shows that Air Canada’s first transatlantic service on the narrowbody is set for June 1, between Montreal and Toulouse. However, it is possible that that start date might be pushed back. It is unclear when United Airlines will debut the XLR across the Atlantic.
The Ten Longest Transatlantic Flights On The XLR In 2026
Usually, such analysis focuses on North America, as that is Simple Flying’s geographic priority. But this examination includes Latin America too, which shakes up the list significantly. Half of the entries are in the Caribbean or South America, which includes the US territory of Puerto Rico.
Surprisingly or not, all but one of the entries involve Iberia and Aer Lingus. The sole exception is Air Canada, with its operation from the Danish capital back to its busiest hub. While that route has been served since 2010, only widebodies have been used, with a summer-only service. That changes this year, with the XLR appearing during the winter. The equipment’s much lower capacity helps to de-risk the opportunity, and thus enables a year-round operation for the first time.
| Maximum Block Time: April-December 2026* | Direction Of Route With That Time | Airline | XLR Operations: April-December 2026** |
|---|---|---|---|
| 9h 40m | Madrid to Washington Dulles | Iberia | Three weekly to daily year round |
| 9h 35m | Madrid to Santo Domingo | Iberia | Daily year round |
| 9h 20m | Dublin to Nashville | Aer Lingus | Four to five weekly year round. This route does not have one of the airline’s lowest load factors |
| 9h 15m | Madrid to New York JFK | Iberia | Three weekly to daily during the summer only |
| 9h 10m | Dublin to Barbados | Aer Lingus | A new route for the airline. Begins on March 31. Three weekly |
| 9h 10m | Madrid to San Juan | Iberia | Daily year round |
| 9h 00m | Copenhagen back to Toronto | Air Canada | Three weekly during the winter only |
| 9h 00m | Madrid to Toronto | Iberia | Begins on June 13. The route is back after 30+ years |
| 9h 00m | Madrid to Recife | Iberia | Three weekly year round |
| 8h 55m | Madrid to Fortaleza | Iberia | Three weekly year round |
| * Which is measured as chocks-off-to-chocks-on. The maximum time is stated even if only one flight has it | ** Known as of March 13, and subject to change |
So Many Routes Were Close To Being Included
Typically, one or two markets are just shy of featuring on the ‘longest’ or ‘shortest’ lists. Not so here. Many routes were very close to making it. Given most carriers use the XLR for its range (and lower trip cost and lower risk), that’s not surprising.
Two transatlantic routes have a maximum block time of 8h 50m in the examined period, which is just five minutes too short. They are Iberia between Madrid and Newark—the new route starts on March 29—and Aer Lingus between Dublin and Indianapolis. Newark’s much shorter block time versus JFK’s (see the table) is influenced by the latter’s lack of slots. Three routes are timed at up to 8h 45m: Air Canada from Lyon back to Montreal, Iberia from Madrid to Boston, and American from Barcelona back to New York JFK.
Three markets have a maximum block time of 8h 40m: Air Canada from Berlin back to Montreal (which is a new route for the airline) and London Heathrow back to Toronto, along with Aer Lingus’ handful of XLR services from the Irish capital to Chicago O’Hare. Two are blocked at up to 8h 35m: Air Canada from Toulouse back to Montreal, which is the carrier’s first transatlantic XLR route, along with Aer Lingus from Dublin to Minneapolis.
American’s Longest Transatlantic Route Is Timed At Up To 8h 45m
The latest information indicates that the oneworld member currently plans six transatlantic routes on the XLR: New York JFK to Barcelona and Edinburgh (which now sees the variant), along with Philadelphia to Amsterdam, Edinburgh, Lisbon, and Porto.
For now, at least, American’s longest link will be from Barcelona back to New York JFK, which is timed at up to 8h 45m. While the airline has served the very popular market since 2008 and flights predominantly operated year round, they became seasonal in 2024.
The introduction of the XLR on the route from late October means it’ll become year round again, which will help to increase the airline’s competitiveness and market share. But despite covering 7% more distance than Iberia’s Madrid-New York JFK offering on the XLR, Iberia’s maximum block time is 30 minutes longer.
Credits: Airbus A321XLR’s
