Qantas's new game-changing Airbus touches down in Sydney
Torrential rains buffeting Sydney many have diminished the fanfare but the Airbus 321XLR landed in Sydney Airport at 9.45am after departing Bangkok the evening before.
The arrival of the first 321XLR marks a key moment in the long-awaited refresh of Qantas' domestic fleet.
The extra-long range narrow-body plane departed the Airbus factory in Hamburg on Monday and flew direct to Bangkok, showing off the range that Qantas will exploit as more of the 321XLRs are brought online.
Qantas' plans for a major media event were cancelled as torrential rains and winds forced the closure of two runways at Sydney Airport. More than a 100 flights in and out of Sydney and Newcastle have been affected by the deluge since Tuesday.
Adding to the gloom, the storied airline was also hit by a cyberattack which may have affected the data of up to six million customers. The incident was disclosed to the public on Wednesday morning.
On the 321XLR, Airbus says the plane 'offers the widest cabin of any narrowbody aircraft globally' including with space for 60 per cent more bags.
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