Why The Airbus A321XLR Often Gets Stuck Climbing For The 1st Few Hours Of Flight

The Airbus A321XLR is revolutionizing transatlantic travel, but there is a painful catch to its revolutionary range. It must be trapped at low altitudes for the first few hours of a trip. Since an aircraft's most fuel-efficient altitude varies dynamically as it burns off fuel weight, the long-range narrowbody and many other long-haul aircraft spend a large percentage of their flight time actively rising.