Budget carriers have post-A321 XLR purchase panic: Budget carriers — including Wizz Air, JetBlue, and Frontier Airlines — are dialing back on their large orders of Airbus’ new A321 XLR aircraft, reportedly driven by size and price point concerns, Bloomberg reported last week. The trio — which had a combined order of 78 of the new XLR jets — may end up taking only 23 jets in total. JetBlue has confirmed 11 of its 13 jet orders, and Wizz Air has confirmed just 12 of 47 jets, whereas Frontier Airlines and Philippines-based Cebu Air have dropped their orders.

Not everything is as advertised: The aircraft’s range seems smaller than previously advertised — with some people reporting it appears shorter when it’s full of passengers and cargo. The XLR is also more expensive — costing nearly USD 72 mn — making it unsuitable for low-cost carriers, who would need to justify paying more for a jet that may not generate as much return as projected, senior consultant at Cirium Richard Evans noted.

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