In 2014, European aircraft manufacturer Airbus commenced marketing a new variant of its popular A320 / A321 family of aircraft, where a 164-seat variant that could carry up to 97 tonnes would be called the A321neA321LR variant would have an operational range of 100 nautical miles (120 miles), more than its direct competition, the Boeing 757-200. Other benefits compared to its cousin was that the Airbus vs. Boeing aircraft would operate at 27% lower trip costs and 24% lower per-seat costs. The variant was scheduled to take flight by 2018.