For many years, Airbus and Boeing have been engaged in fierce competition across a multitude
of different aircraft markets. From narrowbody workhorses to giant widebodies, both manufacturers
have attempted to pre-empt market demand and provide the next great aircraft. Airbus has
a solid product line, but plane making never stands still. So what will Airbus build next?
Airbus has invested greatly into its A320 family of aircraft. These single-aisle jets
can be utilized for a whole host of flights, and in some cases, make up entire airline fleets.
The versatility offered from the A318′ Baby Bus’ right up to the long-range A321neo gives
airlines a solid selection of variants, without the need for extensive retraining.
But will Airbus look to extend this family in the future?
Any shrink of the A320 family would see Airbus encroaching on the territory of the
highly capable and popular A220 family of jets. It’s the reason Airbus doesn’t offer an A318neo,
and probably why the A319neo isn’t selling as well. An upwards stretch would be difficult, too,
and would likely require a clean sheet design rather than a rework of the current family.
We do know that Airbus is being urged by the French government to develop the A320 successor.
Part of the aerospace bailout received this year saw a multi-billion dollar commitment to
research and development, with hydrogen high of the list of priorities for the A320 successor.
Just last month, Airbus revealed plans for developing a zero-emissions aircraft for the
future. In fact, there are no less than three potential aircraft on the table – one turboprop,
one narrowbody, and an unusual looking blended wing aircraft.
For these, Airbus has set itself an ambitious timeline. The planemaker wants to bring a
functional zero-emissions aircraft into service by 2035. This will require it to begin flight testing
its prototypes before the end of this decade. While it would be great to see this goal
being achieved, we all know just how much timelines can slip in commercial aviation.
So, could Airbus bring something else to the table in advance of this shift in aircraft propulsion?
With the production of the A380 ending and Boeing’s 777X nearing entry into service,
could there be room for something big to come out of Airbus’ stable? It’s current largest aircraft,
the A350-1000, is indeed smaller than the 777-9. Almost three meters longer, the 777-9 seats 426
passengers in a typical two-class configuration- 20-40 passengers more than the A350-1000. The
A350 does go further though, with an additional 2,500km (1550 miles) of range over the 777-9.
For many years, there were rumors of an A350-2000 in the pipeline.
This further stretch of the -1000 would see capacity increased to match the Boeing giant,
and although that would mean a reduction in range, it would still be able to keep pace with the 777X.
However, in May last year, Airbus quashed these rumors, saying it did not want to pursue a larger
A350 variant. With the demand for long-haul travel anticipated to be low for some years to come,
we don’t see Airbus betting on anything big in the near future.
Where we could see some movement in the coming years is with the A220 family of aircraft.
When Bombardier designed the CSeries, it ran simulations not just for the CS100 and CS300,
but also for a larger version, the CS500. Airbus knew this when acquired the program.
Indeed, Bombardier was quote-unquote ‘flying’ a stretched A220 (possibly to
be called the A220-500) in simulations for many years. Airbus had even more recently
asked them to run a simulation for an A220′ super stretch’, to model an A220-700, -900, and -1000.
While some of these ideas are somewhat pie in the sky, we’d like to think that the A220-500
is a realistic proposition for the future. Key A220 customers like airBaltic and Air France
have indeed said that the -500 is something they would definitely consider ordering...
Sadly, any hopes we had of seeing the A220-500 announced this year have been dashed with the
current global crisis. In a recent interview, Chairman and CEO of Airbus Americas, Jeff Knittel,
said that the stretch was ‘not a priority’ citing cash preservation as the current focus.
Nevertheless, as travel rebounds and people take to the skies again, an Airbus A220-500 could be
just what the industry needs and wants. If Airbus can shape it to match the agility, efficiency, and
airport accessibility associated with the A220, it would likely fly out of the door to keen airlines.
What do you think? What plane should Airbus make next? Let us know in the comments.