• Ireland's Aer Lingus is the second airline to receive the new Airbus A321XLR.
• The plane opens new long-haul opportunities, including Dublin to Indianapolis and Nashville.
• Other airlines, including Iberia, United, Qantas, and American are also planning new routes.

The Airbus A321XLR is the European planemaker's latest narrow-body jet, and it's already changing how people fly long-haul.

On Thursday, Ireland's Aer Lingus became the second airline to receive the A321XLR, with Airbus delivering two of the carrier's six that are on order.

Spanish flag carrier Iberia became the plane's first operator in November.

The jet's extra-long-haul capabilities mean Aer Lingus can now operate flights deeper into the US. Two new routes are already scheduled: Flights between Dublin and Nashville will begin in April, and flights between Dublin and Indianapolis will launch in May.

Iberia and Aer Lingus are just the beginning for Airbus's new plane, which has tallied up more than 550 global orders.

American Airlines, Australian flag carrier Qantas, and Hungarian budget carrier Wizz Air all expect to receive the jet next year, followed by United Airlines in early 2026.

And all are expected to launch never-before-flown narrow-body routes across oceans and continents.

Airbus' new A321XLR jet is set to open new route options

The A321XLR is uniquely equipped for long-haul flying, thanks to an extra rear center fuel tank that helps the narrow-body aircraft fly up to 5,400 miles, or 11 hours, nonstop.

That's about 800 miles farther than its Airbus A321LR predecessor. That opens new routes to places previously unreachable with older narrowbodies — or that were unprofitable with a widebody.

Iberia plans to begin a new service using the A321XLR between Madrid and Washington Dulles on January 15. Wizz Air also plans to launch A321XLR routes between London and Saudi Arabia and Milan and Abu Dhabi in 2025.

In March, American Airlines' managing director of global network planning, Jason Reisinger, said the A321XLR was desirable because it would let the airline serve "routes that cannot support a 787 but where we still have a nice onboard product."

American has since said it plans to launch the A321XLRs on transcontinental routes now served by its A321T.

And the airline's senior vice president of network planning, Brian Znotins, told The Points Guy in November that it plans to also fly its A321XLR fleet to Europe and possibly South America.

Qantas plans to use the A321XLR to fly farther into Asia and the Pacific.

United Airlines previously told Business Insider that the A321XLR would replace its aging Boeing 757s and open new routes to places like Northern Italy and West Africa.

Icelandair is also using the A321XLR to replace the 757 and fly farther into North America and Europe from 2029. Boeing never built another version of the popular narrow-body, which ceased production in 2004.

The A321XLR will have varying cabin experiences

Customers can expect varying cabin experiences on board these new versatile single-aisle planes.

Iberia offers lie-flat business class on its A321XLRs, which is typical of what customers find on long-haul widebody flights.

Aer Lingus will also have lie-flat business class seats similar to what it already flies on its A321LRs, but some rows won't have direct aisle access.

American plans to install its new Flagship suites on its A321XLRs, while United is also planning a lie-flat business cabin. Qantas will have large reclining loungers in business class.

Wizz will have the least posh cabin. Its no-frills A321XLRs will have cramped seats, no in-flight entertainment, and no freebies like snacks and water.

Its CEO said the experience is something passengers will have to "suffer" through for seven hours for the cheap ticket.

The AI-generated video scene has been hopping this year (or twirling wildly, as the case may be). This past week alone we've seen releases or announcements of OpenAI's Sora, Pika AI's Pika 2, Google's Veo 2, and Minimax's video-01-live. It's frankly hard to keep up, and even tougher to test them all. But recently, we put a new open-weights AI video synthesis model, Tencent's HunyuanVideo, to the test—and it's surprisingly capable for being a "free" model.

Unlike the aforementioned models, HunyuanVideo's neural network weights are openly distributed, which means they can be run locally under the right circumstances (people have already demonstrated it on a consumer 24 GB VRAM GPU) and it can be fine-tuned or used with LoRAs to teach it new concepts.

Notably, a few Chinese companies have been at the forefront of AI video for most of this year, and some experts speculate that the reason is less reticence to train on copyrighted materials, use images and names of famous celebrities, and incorporate some uncensored video sources. As we saw with Stable Diffusion 3's mangled release, including nudity or pornography in training data may allow these models achieve better results by providing more information about human bodies. HunyuanVideo notably allows uncensored outputs, so unlike the commercial video models out there, it can generate videos of anatomically realistic, nude humans.

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Firearms expert Patrick McNamara rates gun technique in movies.

McNamara talks about recovering ammo on the battlefield in "John Wick: Chapter 2," starring Keanu Reeves, Laurence Fishburne, and Common. He explains how to handle different types of machine guns in "Rambo: First Blood Part II," starring Sylvester Stallone; and "Pulp Fiction," starring John Travolta, Samuel L. Jackson, and Bruce Willis. He critiques James Bond's shooting form in "Die Another Day," starring Pierce Brosnan, Halle Berry and Judi Dench; and "No Time to Die," starring Daniel Craig, Rami Malek, and Ana de Armas. He breaks down how to fire at a moving target in "Deadpool," starring Ryan Reynolds. He discusses firing two guns at once in "The Bourne Identity," starring Matt Damon and Clive Owen. He describes shooting range exercises in "S.W.A.T.," starring Colin Farrell, Samuel L. Jackson, and Jeremy Renner; and "Lethal Weapon," starring Danny Glover and Mel Gibson. He looks at shooting in dark environments in "Sicario," starring Emily Blunt, Josh Brolin, and Benicio del Toro. He analyzes the reload techniques displayed in "Scarface," starring Al Pacino and Michelle Pfeiffer. He walks us through different sniper positions in "Mad Max: Fury Road," starring Tom Hardy, Charlize Theron, and Nicholas Hoult. Finally, he deconstructs Tom Cruise's shooting stance in "Collateral," also starring Jamie Foxx and Jada Pinkett Smith.

Patrick McNamara served for 22 years in Army special operations forces. He is president of TMACS, where he trains people in tactical marksmanship.

You can learn more about safe gun-handling techniques from Patrick here:

https://www.youtube.com/@patmcnamara

https://www.tmacsinc.com/

While the number of subscriptions and services out there now may seem daunting, that can come in handy this time of year. These can be life-saver gifts for the most hard-to-shop-for folks on your holiday list. Whether you have a loved one who’s constantly looking for a new TV show to dive into, a voracious reader or a lifelong learner, there are dozens of subscriptions out there to consider gifting them this year. We’ve pulled together some of our favorites from MasterClass to Disney+ to Gaia Fitness in the hopes that some of them will fit the bill for those you still need to buy gifts for.

Gaming subscriptions

Game consoles are certainly among the most popular gift ideas this time of year. If you know someone who’s been so good that they’re getting a new Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 5 or Xbox Series X/S, one of these subscriptions will make their shiny toy immediately playable out of the box.

A $20/month Xbox Game Pass Ultimate subscription offers hundreds of games from all periods of Xbox history that can be played on the Xbox or PC; many of them can be streamed to phones and tablets as well. It also includes EA Play, which opens up access to even more games. Perhaps the best part of Xbox Game Pass, though, is that it offers access to first-party Xbox Game Studios titles the day they're released, like Starfield, Forza Motorsport and the just-released Call of Duty: Black Ops 6.

Nintendo has two tiers of its Switch Online plan. The basic $20 / year plan unlocks online play, more than 100 Game Boy, NES and Super NES games and cloud backups of your saved games as well as the occasional special offers. The $50 “expansion pack” adds a collection of N64, Game Boy Advance and Sega Genesis games as well as some DLC for games like Mario Kart 8, Animal Crossing: New Horizons and Splatoon 2.

Finally, Sony’s PlayStation Plus plan comes in three tiers, but the middle “Extra” plan ($135/year) is probably best for most gamers. In addition to cloud storage for saves, online multiplayer support and a couple of free games for your library every month, you get access to the PlayStation Plus catalog, which includes more than 400 PS4 and PS5 games. There are a number of heavy hitters here, including The Last of Us Part I, Ghost of Tsushima, Death Stranding, Resident Evil 3 Spider-Man: Miles Morales and Returnal as well as lower-profile hits and indie games like Dave the Diver, Animal Well, Return to Monkey Island and Humanity. If you know someone who loves older games though, the “Premium” tier ($160 / year) adds a bunch of titles from the PS1, PS2 and PS3 catalogs as well as perks like game trials and PS5 game streaming from the cloud.

Check out the rest of our gift ideas here.

• Boeing restarted 737 Max production last Friday, Reuters reported.
• It comes nearly a month after a seven-week strike restrained the already embattled planemaker.
• Returning to previous production levels could take months but is key to restoring trust.

Boeing restarted production of its 737 Max aircraft last Friday, nearly a month after a strike that lasted seven weeks, Reuters reported.

A slowdown in 737 Max production this year has annoyed customers — further delaying deliveries of aircraft in an industry hampered by supply-chain constraints.

Getting production back on track will likely go some way to restoring trust with both airlines and regulators. Other issues remain, like achieving certification of the 777X, and a judge rejecting Boeing's plea deal over two Max crashes in 2018 and 2019.

Boeing declined to comment when contacted by Business Insider.

The Federal Aviation Administration limited Boeing's output of the type to 38 a month following January's Alaska Airlines blowout. Boeing had slowed beyond that as it works to overhaul its production practices.

Then, in mid-September, Seattle-area workers represented by the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers (IAM) went on strike. The strike brought 737 Max production to a halt and saw Boeing raise up to $24.3 billion to boost its liquidity.

After tense and protracted negotiations, union members voted to end the strike in early November.

In an October earnings call, CEO Kelly Ortberg said it would likely take a couple of weeks to bring everyone back, given recertification and retraining efforts.

The FAA told Reuters last month that it "will further strengthen and target our oversight as the company begins its return-to-work plan."

Boeing has a backlog of around 5,400 commercial aircraft worth roughly $428 billion. Around 4,700 of those are 737 Max jets.

FAA Administrator Mike Whitaker previously told Reuters that he would be surprised if it took less than multiple months for the company to reach the 38 maximum production limit.

Boeing's share price has dropped 37% since the start of the year. As of 5 a.m. ET, it was up about 0.5% in premarket trading following Reuters' report.

A US judge today rejected a Boeing plea agreement that was opposed by families of crash victims who say the deal would fail to hold Boeing accountable. The judge's ruling said the US "Government has monitored Boeing for three years now," and that, if US officials are correct that Boeing violated a previous agreement, "it is fair to say the Government's attempt to ensure compliance has failed."

In July 2024, Boeing agreed to plead guilty to a criminal charge and pay $243.6 million for violating a 2021 agreement that was spurred by two Boeing 737 Max crashes in Indonesia and Ethiopia that killed a combined 346 people. If a new deal is not reached, Boeing could have to face trial over the charge for conspiracy to defraud the Federal Aviation Administration's Aircraft Evaluation Group.

In his ruling today, Judge Reed O'Connor in US District Court for the Northern District of Texas objected to the process for selecting an independent monitor to oversee Boeing's ethics and anti-fraud compliance program.

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• A judge rejected Boeing's plea deal with US prosecutors over 737 Max crashes.
• The deal involved Boeing pleading guilty to fraud and paying a $243.6 million fine.
• Boeing previously agreed to a $2.5 billion settlement with the Department of Justice in 2021.

A federal judge on Thursday rejected a July plea deal between Boeing and US prosecutors, citing concerns with the role diversity, equity, and inclusion would play in selecting an independent monitor.

In his decision, Judge Reed O'Connor expressed doubts about Boeing's and the government's ability to select the monitor solely based on capability without consideration of race. The judge noted both groups' strong focus on DEI in their operating policies.

"In a case of this magnitude, it is in the utmost interest of justice that the public is confident this monitor selection is done based solely on competency," the judge said in his decision. "The parties' DEI efforts only serve to undermine this confidence in the Government and Boeing's ethics and anti-fraud efforts."

The Texas judge O'Connor also criticized regulators' work overseeing Boeing's progress under the deferred prosecution agreement it signed in 2021, writing in the decision: "It is fair to say the Government's attempt to ensure compliance has failed."

The case stems from two Boeing 737 Max crashes that killed 346 people, the first with Indonesia's Lion Air in October 2018 and the second with Ethiopian Airlines in March 2019. Faulty software was found to be the culprit in both crashes.

Victims' families opposed the plea agreement, voicing displeasure with the process for selecting an independent anti-fraud monitor and the fact that Boeing's compliance with the monitor's recommendations is not a required condition of its probation, court documents noted.

"This is an excellent decision by Judge O'Connor and an important victory for the victims' families," Erin Applebaum, a lawyer representing 34 families of victims lost on the Ethiopian Airlines flight, told Business Insider.

"We anticipate a significant renegotiation of the plea deal that incorporates terms truly commensurate with the gravity of Boeing's crimes," she added. "It's time for the DOJ to end its lenient treatment of Boeing and demand real accountability."

Boeing did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Business Insider.

In July, Boeing agreed to plead guilty to fraud, pay a $243.6 million fine, and allow an independent monitor to oversee safety and quality control at its factories.

However, regulators said Boeing violated that settlement after the January Alaska Airlines door plug blowout. The deal was set to expire two days after the Alaska incident.

In May, the Justice Department said Boeing had failed to "design, implement, and enforce a compliance and ethics program."

In 2021, Boeing reached a $2.5 billion settlement with the Department of Justice and families of the victims in January 2021 to settle charges of fraud conspiracy related to the fatal crashes.

Boeing's former CEO, Dennis Muilenburg, was fired in December 2019 and was replaced by Dave Calhoun. Calhoun later stepped down in March 2024 after the Alaska blowout.

New Boeing CEO Kelly Ortberg, who started in August, has been tasked with overhauling the company culture and getting Boeing back on track with safety and its production targets.

With global content consumption rising and demand for non-English content surpassing that for English movies and shows, IMAX is leveraging AI to scale localization on its original content. The entertainment and media industry grew 5% to $2.8 trillion in 2023, according to a report by PwC. The industry is expected to continue its expansion, though […]

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• The FAA is reviewing an issue with the Boeing 737 Max's engine.
• Boeing may need to come up with a permanent solution, The Seattle Times reported.
• That may further delay the certification of the Max 7 and Max 10, which are years behind schedule.

Boeing could face further delays to new jets as regulators examine an engine issue.

It comes after two incidents on Southwest Airlines Boeing 737 Max jets last year.

In March 2023, smoke poured into the cabin after a bird hit an engine shortly after takeoff from Cuba. Smoke also filled the cockpit in a December 2023 birdstrike incident. The pilots safely made emergency landings in both cases.

Boeing consequently issued a bulletin in February informing airlines about potential impacts and appropriate operating procedures.

On Thursday, the Federal Aviation Administration announced it was convening a review board to address an issue with the CFM LEAP-1B engine that powers the Boeing 737 Max.

It added that it wasn't an "immediate flight-safety issue" but would develop a path forward and collaborate with Boeing, engine maker CFM, and European regulators.

The FAA may require 737 Max pilots to change takeoff procedures, The Seattle Times reported.

It added that this would involve turning off the airflow from the engines into the plane's interior to prevent it from filling with smoke in the case of a birdstrike.

Such a change would be temporary until Boeing devises a permanent solution, the report said.

Coming up with that could further delay the certification of its 737 Max 7 and 737 Max 10 jets — the shortest and longest versions of Boeing's newest narrow-body plane.

A delay would hamper Boeing's turnaround as it looks to recover from a difficult year. 17,000 employees are set to be laid off, while workers are currently returning to factories after a seven-week strike.

Boeing initially thought the Max 10 and Max 7 would be certified by the end of 2022, but the timeline was pushed back to 2024 and then to next year.

It came up against stricter rules in the wake of the 737 Max crashes in 2018 and 2019, when a combined 346 people died.

Boeing also withdrew a safety-exemption request related to the Max 7's engine de-icing system earlier this year, as it faced more scrutiny after January's Alaska Airlines blowout.

The delays have irritated airlines, including Boeing's biggest customer, United Airlines.

CEO Scott Kirby said United would build an alternative plan without the Max 10 due to the delays and frustrations following the blowout.

"We are working with the authorities that are investigating these incidents," Boeing said in a statement shared with Business Insider.

"We continue to follow regulatory processes to properly address potential issues and ensure the continued safety of the global fleet."

Southwest, CFM, and the FAA did not immediately respond to BI's requests for comment outside US working hours.