Ernest Arvai of the Air Insight Group is doubtful that Boeing can match Airbus’ success in the large narrow-body market.

coming out of the pandemic, Airbus has the right product at the right time (the A321XLR) and Boeing doesn’t.

The A321XLR provides the economics of a narrow-body aircraft with a longer range, making the aircraft capable of trans-Atlantic operations and is the ideal replacement for aging Boeing 757s. As a lower-cost alternative with lower seating capacity, the aircraft is ideally positioned for airlines coming out of the pandemic seeing lower traffic on key international routes.

With more than 450 orders from carriers that include American and United in the US, the A321XLR faces no current competitor from Boeing, which did not replace the 757 nor provide an efficient replacement in the MAX series.

The MAX 10, which has not yet been certified, was to be the competitor to the A321, but it falls short on both range and runway performance to effectively compete.