In 2010, United Airlines first placed an order for the clean-sheet widebody Airbus A350 and
would later order even more of the type. By 2017, however, it had become clear what the airline
wanted to use the aircraft for. The carrier delayed the aircraft's delivery until 2030,
demonstrating a clear intention to replace older 777 jets with the A350. This isn't an unusual
strategy for United, which did something very similar by delaying its purchase of
the 777-300ER. Let’s look at this strategy in a little more detail for today’s video!
The success of widebody programs is often what defines aerospace manufacturers. While the Airbus
A330neo is certainly a modern widebody, it is not a cutting-edge clean-sheet design and is
essentially just an upgraded version of what is almost a 30-year-old airframe. Furthermore,
the A330neo's success in the sales department has been lackluster,
lagging behind the Boeing 787 Dreamliner by almost a factor of six.
Of course, it is the Airbus A350 that defines the European consortium's widebody offerings and the
aircraft that will define the success or failure of its widebody program in
the decade to come. With 45 A350-900 jets on order, United Airlines could be one of
the few critical customers for defining the Airbus widebody's long-term success.
When United placed its order for A350s, Airbus gained a large victory. A legacy
Boeing 777 operator had determined the A350 to be a better replacement than the Boeing
777X for its largest widebodies. While Boeing's latest massive jet has failed
to garner orders from more than just a handful of carriers, the A350's backlog continues to grow.
The A350's success in this market segment comes as a victory for Airbus,
who have been able to balance the tables after Boeing took control of the mid-size
long-haul market with the 787 Dreamliner. Now, while Boeing dominates the 200-300
passenger segment, Airbus is capturing the high-capacity long-haul market.
For Airbus, it has always been challenging to get the three major American legacy carriers to
order its widebody jets over those manufactured by homegrown company Boeing. Unsurprisingly,
US-based companies are quick to favor those produced by an American manufacturer. While
both American Airlines and Delta Air Lines inherited Airbus A330 jets after mergers,
only Delta continued to order Airbus widebodies.
In Delta, Airbus has found a partner willing to continually
purchase widebody jets. The carrier has repeatedly shunned Boeing's offerings,
ordering the A330neo over the 787 and purchasing the A350 while retiring its 777s early.
But Delta is just one piece of a very complicated puzzle,
and without the support of another legacy carrier, Airbus's widebody program didn't
have all that strong of a foothold in the US market. The issue was further exacerbated
when American Airlines canceled an order for the A350 it had inherited from US Airways.
Thus, as it stands, the linchpin of Airbus's widebody offerings is
United. By placing an order for the jet and planning to replace its 777s with the A350,
Airbus has established a strong partnership with a second US legacy carrier. This is
critical for strengthening its position in the market. As a result, Boeing has
recognized Airbus as a legitimate threat in the US market and will need to streamline the
development of the 777X in order to compete in the high-capacity market segment effectively.
What do you think of United Airlines' A350 order? Do you believe it will
follow through eventually? Let us know by leaving a comment!
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