Continuing a strong week for Airbus, American Airlines has confirmed it will acquire 50 A321XLR aircraft, the new longer-range version of the A321neo.

The purchase agreement includes the conversion of 30 of American’s existing A321neo slots to A321XLRs and incremental orders for an additional 20 A321XLRs.

The deal was announced during the Paris Air Show in France.

The A321XLR will have the longest range of any single-aisle commercial jetliner.

The added range of up to 4,700 nautical miles will allow airlines to operate the aircraft from the east coast of the United States airports to medium-size European cities.

As a further enhancement of the A321neo and A321LR, the A321XLR will have a maximum take-off weight of 101 metric tonnes, without sacrificing performance.

The A321XLR is powered by the same engines, and has more than 90 per cent commonality with the A321neo.

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

Including the latest announcement, American has outstanding orders for 115 A321neos and A321XLRs from Airbus.