American Airlines has ordered 50 Airbus A321XLR aircraft — the new longer-range version of the A321neo. The deal includes the conversion of 30 of AA’s existing A321neo orders to A321XLRs plus orders for another 20 aircraft.

The A321XLR (www.airbus.com) will have the longest range of any single-aisle commercial jetliner (up to 4,700 nautical miles), allowing airlines to operate it from East Coast airports in the USA to medium-size cities in Europe.

It will be powered by the same engines as the A321neo.

American Airlines — based in Fort Worth, Texas — is the largest Airbus operator in the world, with 422 Airbus aircraft.

Including the latest order, it has outstanding orders for 115 A321neo and A321XLR aircraft from Airbus.

Meanwhile, Delta Air Lines has ordered five more A220-100 aircraft, bringing to 95 the total number of orders placed, which includes both the A220-100 and A220-300 variants.

Airbus announced in May that it would increase the maximum take-off weight of the A220 by 2,268kg, and Delta is the first airline to select this option for its entire fleet from 2020.

Delta was the launch customer in the USA for the A220, placing an initial order for 75 aircraft in 2016 and an order for 15 more in December 2018.

Its A220-100s are produced in Mirabel, Québec, while the A220-300s will be built at the new Alabama assembly plant — now under construction in Mobile, adjacent to an existing Airbus A320 assembly facility.