Increasing narrowbody flights between North America and Europe are changing how people fly. Newer single-aisle planes are versatile with cheaper operating costs than widebodies. American and United will fly new routes with future A321XLRs and introduce new business classes. Your next ride across the Atlantic may be smaller than you expected.
Several airlines are flying more narrow-body planes between North America and Europe this year — a shift from larger widebodies that have historically dominated transoceanic routes. Data from the aviation analytics company Cirium shows that about 56,500 transatlantic narrowbody flights are scheduled in 2025, a 50% increase from 2019.
Although some people may see the strategy as counterintuitive — as fewer seats mean less revenue potential — narrowbodies are cheaper to operate than a widebody and are easier to fill on lower-demand but still profitable routes.
European planemaker Airbus is trailblazing this transatlantic trend. In 2018, it launched the extended-range Airbus A321neoLR to make long-haul flights more efficient than its previous generation options. Airbus took its strategy one step further when its “extra long range” A321XLR launched in November. The Boeing 737 Max has less range than its Airbus rivals but is still used by a handful of carriers across the Atlantic.
The growing trend is changing how people fly to Europe. Smaller jets can be cozier and boast competitive fares due to their cheaper costs, and their fewer passengers mean faster boarding and deplaning times.
