PARIS, July 21 (Reuters) - Airbus (AIR.PA) is grappling with a growing shortfall in the range of its upcoming A321XLR passenger jet after reaching an agreement with European regulators on design safeguards needed to achieve certification, industry sources said. "Airbus expects no significant impact on the XLR’s unique range advantage in the single-aisle segment," an Airbus spokesperson said in response to a Reuters query. But the design raised concerns among regulators about the risk of fire and evacuation times in the event of an accident, prompting talks over design changes needed for certification. This would trim the maximum range, which Airbus officially pegs at 4,700 nautical miles (8,700 km). Airbus aims to certify the A321XLR by end-year and deliver the first aircraft in the second quarter of 2024.

---

Persons: Philippe Mhun, FlightGlobal, Tim Hepher, Rajesh Kumar Singh, Louise Heavens Organizations: Airbus, Le, European Union Aviation Safety Agency, Reuters, JetBlue, Thomson Locations: Boeing's, Le Bourget, Paris, New York, America, Europe