By David Kaminski-Morrow2021-04-03T09:19:00+01:00
One of the Airbus A321neo fuselage sections previously intended for delivery to South American operator LATAM has instead been supporting the A321XLR development programme as a system integration platform.
Originally a standard A321LR centre and aft section, the fuselage of MSN8531 was withdrawn from the Hamburg Finkenwerder production line and effectively de-equipped – its pre-installed systems removed in order to fit new ones specifically for the A321XLR.
Airbus describes the fuselage section as a “pre-industrial system accelerator” – or PISA – a hybrid capable of supporting both A321LR and A321XLR interior configurations on the main deck while specially-developed systems for the A321XLR are installed on the lower deck.