New, smaller planes are bringing greater fuel efficiencies – and have the potential to get clients across the pond direct from regional UK airports. Lou Jones reports
Not so long ago, the Boeing 747, affectionately known as the Jumbo Jet, was the emblem of transatlantic flight. Then the Superjumbo came along: the double-decker Airbus A380 could carry more than 500 passengers, beating the 747 for capacity.
For a while it looked like the big planes that provided extra comfort and reassurance in the skies were here to stay. But – thanks to developments in aircraft technology – smaller aircraft can travel farther. And today, a new generation of smaller planes is already ferrying passengers across the Atlantic.
Smaller packages
While the twin-engine Boeing 777 was an established long-range aircraft, the Boeing 787 Dreamliner and the Airbus A350 – which took their first flights in 2009 and 2013 respectively – revolutionised the market. These modern, more fuel-efficient aircraft appealed to airlines for their economic benefits – in comparison with the ageing 747s that started flying passengers in 1970 – and paved the way for smaller aircraft.
In 2021, following a decline in orders, Boeing announced it was ceasing production of the 747, while Emirates took the final delivery of the A380 in 2021.
Airlines are increasingly using smaller planes’ efficiency to market their aircraft choices – which will no doubt appeal to clients seeking to minimise their carbon footprint. Tui was the launch customer of the Boeing 787 Dreamliner back in 2013, and the line continues to fly it today.
A Tui spokesperson said: “Dreamliners are more environmentally friendly than other aircraft, using 20% less fuel. The 787-9 can travel a farther 830 kilometres in the same energy-efficient manner.”
Tui flies direct long-haul flights from seven UK airports, including Newcastle, Birmingham and Edinburgh, crossing the Atlantic to Orlando, Florida. Meanwhile, Virgin Atlantic and BA have introduced a number of Airbus A350s to their fleets in the past couple of years, flying routes such as Heathrow-LA and Heathrow-Las Vegas, respectively.
Dreamliners are more environmentally friendly than other aircraft, using 20% less fuel
Arguably, more fuel-efficient, quieter and with a longer flying range than the 787 and the 777, the A350 well and truly knocked the big boys (747 and A380) out of the way.
As well as being more fuel‑efficient, smaller aircraft have another huge benefit: their size means they’re better suited to flying from regional airports. This cuts costs for airlines, with regional airports charging lower landing fees, while offering travellers more flexibility too.
The value of regional flying was underlined by the International Air Transport Association’s 2022 Global Passenger Survey. It found that flying from a nearby airport was passengers’ main priority when choosing a flight, with 75% of respondents rating airport location as more important than the airfare.
Maggi Smit, managing director of America As You Like It, agrees that offering regional flights is helpful for clients. “Flying from a regional airport offers travellers plenty of benefits,” she says.
“Choosing an airport that’s close to home can save both time and money, as there are less travel costs involved with the home-to-airport journey, and in some instances taxes are less when flying from a regional airport. Those flying via Dublin can clear US customs and immigration at Dublin airport, providing a smooth and stress-free arrival to the US.”
Straight and narrow
Clients flying from numerous regional UK airports via Ireland can cross the Atlantic on an A321neo Long Range – the leader in a new generation of single-aisle, narrow-bodied aircraft that’s giving the 787, 777 and A350 a run for their money.
The A321neo LR can fly up to 4,000 miles, and Aer Lingus has added the planes on routes from Dublin to Washington DC, New York Newark and Hartford, Connecticut, and from Shannon to Boston.
An Aer Lingus spokesperson said: “The aircraft is ideally positioned in the Aer Lingus fleet to serve both transatlantic and European routes. The A321LR has 16 seats in Business Class and 168 seats in Economy. What is the difference between the A321 and the A321neo? It’s hard to ‘see’ the difference, but the narrow-bodied A321neo planes are 20% more fuel-efficient than the A321ceo.”
JetBlue is also operating A321LR aircraft on all its services form Heathrow and Gatwick to New York and Boston, while Air Transat uses A321neo LR aircraft for its regional flights such as Glasgow and Manchester to Montreal and Toronto, and on many of its services from Gatwick.
And although not direct, low‑cost Icelandic airline Play also operates the A321neo on UK flights from Stansted and Liverpool’s John Lennon airport to Iceland, with connecting flights to New York, Boston and Baltimore/Washington.
The Boeing 737 Max, another single-aisle twin engine jet, also flies transatlantic, operated by airlines including Icelandair and Canada‑headquartered WestJet.
The current dollar exchange rate will no doubt provide a challenge when it comes to demand for transatlantic routes, but with the future of aircraft design focused on fuel efficiency paired with optimum flying range, smaller planes are set to show up on more Atlantic routes.
In the wings
Airbus is planning to launch the single-aisle, 220-passenger A321XLR in 2024. An extra-long-range version of the A321neo, it will be able to fly 4,700 miles – 700 miles farther than the A321LR.
Boeing has more 737 Max model types planned too, including the Max 7 and Max 9, with a spokesperson for the manufacturer commenting that “the heart of the market is around 180‑200 seats”. The future of transatlantic flight, it seems, may just be single-aisle.
Which airlines fly which aircraft?
Direct transatlantic flights from the UK to North America:
Airbus A380: British Airways
Airbus A350: British Airways, Virgin Atlantic
Airbus A330-300 / A330-200 / A330neo: Aer Lingus, Virgin Atlantic
Airbus A321neo/LR: Aer Lingus, JetBlue, Play, Air Transat
Boeing 787-9: Virgin Atlantic
Boeing 787-8: Tui Airways
Boeing 757: Jet2.com
Boeing 777: British Airways
Boeing 737 Max: WestJet, Icelandair
PICTURES: Shutterstock/lassedesignen; Airbus SAS; JetBlue
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