American Airlines’ first international route with its new Airbus A321XLRs will launch in March 2026 between New York and Edinburgh, the airline announced on Thursday.
The Fort Worth-based carrier will first launch its XLR aircraft on premium transcontinental routes, such as JFK-LAX, on Dec. 18, 2025, and the Edinburgh flights will follow those. American is the first airline in the United States to receive and operate the A321XLR.
The Edinburgh flights will begin on Mar. 8, 2026, and run through Oct. 24, 2026.
“After a successful summer in Edinburgh, American is excited to offer a second route to give travelers more access to one of their favorite destinations,” said Brian Znotins, American’s Senior Vice President of Network and Schedule Planning. “With the game-changing Airbus A321XLR now in our fleet, we could not be more excited to connect the Big Apple with Auld Reekie.”
In the past, American had operated transatlantic flights with Boeing 757s. The brand new Airbus A321XLRs will be a vast improvement with their up-to-date interiors with Flagship Suites, Premium Economy, and Main Cabin. Passengers can also find seatback entertainment and power at their seats.
The XLRs feature 20 lie-flat Collins Aurora seats in the cabin up front, in a herringbone layout in a 1-1 configuration. This is followed by a small Premium Economy cabin with 12 Recaro R5 seats and 123 Main Cabin seats further down.
All photos via American Airlines.
