LONDON - Airbus has won European certification for the latest addition to its single-aisle family of jets, the long-distance A321XLR, a spokesperson said on Friday.

The head of the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) handed over the approval on Friday, covering a version of the plane using engines from CFM. Certification of a version powered by Pratt & Whitney is due later this year.

Launched in 2019 to steal a march on Boeing's plans at the time to build a new jet in the middle of the market, the A321XLR targets a gap left by the out-of-production Boeing 757, where the A321 is already outselling the largest version of the 737 MAX.

The plane is designed to carry out missions previously reserved for wide-body jets, allowing airlines to fly deeper into Europe from the United States for example, without the commercial risk of having to fill a larger plane.

Its design called for a novel type of rear central fuel tank, moulded into the contours of the fuselage, to eke out more space for fuel and extend the range.

But the design raised concerns among regulators about the risk of fire and evacuation times in the event of an accident, prompting changes before it could be certified.

The resulting modifications added more weight and eroded the plane's official 4,700 nautical mile range but Airbus officials said this would be gradually recouped as it matures in service.

The first A321XLR is scheduled to be delivered in the third quarter, following cumulative delays of about a year.

Boeing scrapped plans four years ago for a new mid-sized plane designed to leapfrog the largest Airbus single-aisle jets, and has signalled it is in no rush to come to market with a new model until a new generation of engines is ready next decade.

(Reporting by Tim Hepher; editing by Jason Neely and Susan Fenton)