Is the Airbus A321 safe?

The A321 has a strong airworthiness record. The deadliest event in its history — Metrojet 9268 over Sinai (2015, 224 fatalities) — was caused by a terrorist bomb in the hold, not an aircraft failure. No A321 has been destroyed due to an airframe design defect. The type has been in continuous commercial service since 1994 with a low hull-loss rate per departure.

How many fatal Airbus A321 accidents have there been?

The A321 has been involved in a very small number of fatal hull losses since 1994. The most significant event was Metrojet 9268 (224 fatalities, 2015), which was a terrorist bombing. A small number of runway excursions and approach accidents have involved A321s, but the type's overall fatal record is among the best of any single-aisle jet.

Which airline has the largest A321 fleet?

American Airlines is the world's largest A321 operator with over 300 aircraft (combining ceo and neo variants) as of 2025. Wizz Air, IndiGo, Delta Air Lines, and China Southern each operate 80-160 A321neos. American has orders for over 200 additional A321neos making it the largest North American A321neo customer.

What's the difference between the A321neo and A321XLR?

The A321XLR (Extra Long Range, in service from October 2024) adds a structural rear-centre fuel tank that increases range from 4,000 nm on the A321neo to 4,700 nm — enabling transatlantic flying with a full load. The A321LR achieves up to 4,000 nm using three removable auxiliary centre-section fuel tanks. The XLR's tank is permanent and integral to the airframe.

How many seats does an Airbus A321 have?

The A321 seats 185-220 in typical two-class configurations. High-density single-class layouts can reach 244 seats on the A321neo. The A321XLR in most planned configurations seats 180-220 passengers, trading some density for the fuel volume required for transatlantic range.

When was the Airbus A321 introduced?

The A321-100 entered service with Lufthansa on 27 January 1994. The longer-range A321-200 followed in 1996. The A321neo entered service on 9 May 2016 with Lufthansa. The A321XLR entered service with Iberia in October 2024, becoming the first transatlantic-capable single-aisle jet in regular airline service.

Airbus A321 (all variants) — flights, routes and airlines

Every city pair operated by the Airbus A321 (all variants) worldwide. Live schedule data, recent safety events, and operator details.

The Airbus A321 (all variants) is operated by 164 airlines across 9224 city pairs in our observed-flights dataset (last 14 days).

Top routes: ABI-DFW, ABZ-GDN, ACE-BHX, ACE-HAM, ACE-LGW.

Variants and specifications

Variant	First flight	Typical seats	Range (nm)	Status
A321-100	1993	185-220	2700	out of production
A321-200	1995	185-220	3200	in service
A321neo	2016	180-244	4000	in service
A321LR	2018	180-220	4000	in service
A321XLR	2022	180-220	4700	in service

Notable accidents and incidents

2015-10-31 Metrojet 9268 Metrojet (Kogalymavia) A321-231 224 fatalities

Destroyed by an improvised explosive device in the hold 22 minutes after departure from Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt, en route to St Petersburg; debris scattered across northern Sinai. ISIS's Sinai affiliate claimed responsibility. The deadliest single aviation incident in Egyptian airspace.

About the Airbus A321XLR

The Airbus A321 is the longest member of the A320 family, stretching the A320 fuselage by about 7 metres to seat 185-244 passengers. It entered service with Lufthansa in January 1994, initially in the -100 form; the heavier, longer-range -200 followed in 1996. The A321neo (2016) brought new-generation engines and sharklets, transforming the type from a medium-haul domestic jet to a capable medium-haul performer.

The A321XLR — Extra Long Range — entered service in October 2024, becoming the first single-aisle aircraft capable of transatlantic flying with a full revenue payload. Its rear-centre fuel tank gives a range of 4,700 nm, enough to fly New York to Rome or Berlin to Bangkok non-stop. American Airlines is the world's largest A321 operator with over 300 aircraft; the A321neo is currently Airbus's best-selling individual variant by active order count. The Metrojet 9268 bombing over Sinai in 2015 (224 fatalities) remains the A321's deadliest event, and was a deliberate act of terrorism rather than an airworthiness failure.

Airbus A321 (all variants) — safety & facts

Safety record

Recorded occurrences: 210
Hull losses: 2
Fatal accidents: 7
Total fatalities: 1,134
Records span: 1996–2026

Based on 210 occurrences across NTSB, ASN, MAK, ATSB & Wikidata records. See full safety record →

Key facts

Manufacturer: Airbus
Typical seats: 185-244 pax
Range: 8,700 km
First flight: 1993-03

Last fatal hull loss: 2016 View full safety record →

Color reflects time since the last recorded fatal hull-loss involving this type, drawn from public datasets (NTSB, Aviation Safety Network, Bureau of Aircraft Accidents Archives, Wikidata). It is not a commercial safety rating and does not normalise for flights flown, hours, or fleet size — for those, see the manufacturer or IATA Safety Report.

Notable events

2015-10-31 — 224 fatalities. Source.
2015-10-31 — Metrojet — 224 fatalities. Source.
2010-07-28 — Airblue — 157 fatalities. Source.
2016-02-02 — Daallo Airlines, lsf Hermes Airlines — 1 fatalities. Source.

Variants

A321ceo — Stretched A320 variant.
A321neo — Re-engined A321 with extended-range option (A321LR) and ultra-long-range option (A321XLR).

Recent airline activity

Observed 11700 active routes flown by 159 airlines in the last 30 days.

Operators: American Airlines (634), Wizz Air (602), IndiGo (379), Delta Air Lines (361), Turkish Airlines (360)

Top routes: MEL–TSV, ALG–SAW, MAD–GDN, CLE–CUN, SHA–PKX

Based on live ADS-B observations collected by FlightFinder, as of 2026-06-04.

Frequently asked questions

Is the Airbus A321 safe?: The A321 has a strong airworthiness record. The deadliest event in its history — Metrojet 9268 over Sinai (2015, 224 fatalities) — was caused by a terrorist bomb in the hold, not an aircraft failure. No A321 has been destroyed due to an airframe design defect. The type has been in continuous commercial service since 1994 with a low hull-loss rate per departure.
How many fatal Airbus A321 accidents have there been?: The A321 has been involved in a very small number of fatal hull losses since 1994. The most significant event was Metrojet 9268 (224 fatalities, 2015), which was a terrorist bombing. A small number of runway excursions and approach accidents have involved A321s, but the type's overall fatal record is among the best of any single-aisle jet.
Which airline has the largest A321 fleet?: American Airlines is the world's largest A321 operator with over 300 aircraft (combining ceo and neo variants) as of 2025. Wizz Air, IndiGo, Delta Air Lines, and China Southern each operate 80-160 A321neos. American has orders for over 200 additional A321neos making it the largest North American A321neo customer.
What's the difference between the A321neo and A321XLR?: The A321XLR (Extra Long Range, in service from October 2024) adds a structural rear-centre fuel tank that increases range from 4,000 nm on the A321neo to 4,700 nm — enabling transatlantic flying with a full load. The A321LR achieves up to 4,000 nm using three removable auxiliary centre-section fuel tanks. The XLR's tank is permanent and integral to the airframe.
How many seats does an Airbus A321 have?: The A321 seats 185-220 in typical two-class configurations. High-density single-class layouts can reach 244 seats on the A321neo. The A321XLR in most planned configurations seats 180-220 passengers, trading some density for the fuel volume required for transatlantic range.
When was the Airbus A321 introduced?: The A321-100 entered service with Lufthansa on 27 January 1994. The longer-range A321-200 followed in 1996. The A321neo entered service on 9 May 2016 with Lufthansa. The A321XLR entered service with Iberia in October 2024, becoming the first transatlantic-capable single-aisle jet in regular airline service.

Where the Airbus A321 (all variants) flies — and what it costs

Route	Median fare	Sample size
Istanbul → London	€153	900 quotes
London → Munich	€152	751 quotes
London → Istanbul	€204	738 quotes
Frankfurt → Istanbul	€178	704 quotes
London → Paris	€123	690 quotes
Paris → Madrid	€129	661 quotes
Amsterdam → Istanbul	€200	629 quotes
Amsterdam → London	€142	614 quotes
London → Amsterdam	€84	583 quotes
Amsterdam → Paris	€172	581 quotes

Top routes by sample size from the last ~30 days.

Fly on the Airbus A321

It's currently flying from Istanbul (IST), Frankfurt (FRA), Barcelona (BCN). See where to catch one and how to book →

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