The single-aisle product strategy revealed this month by Airbus marks the first public move in what promises to be a fascinating duel with Boeing to provide new designs to replace many thousands of 150-seat, single-aisle airliners. But do not look for new production lines any time soon. With successful airliner families enjoying longevity of 40 or more years [Boeing 737 production was launched in 1965], Airbus believes new designs must, from the day they enter service, represent the latest state-of-the-art technologies in engines, equipment, structures and systems to meet airline demand for ever-lower operating costs.
This has driven the European manufacturer to establish an “A30X” project. According to Ian Dawkins, Airbus senior vice president of strategy and future programs, the company is looking at “long-term, ‘game-changing’ technologies, [including] new configurations, beyond 2025.” At a press briefing earlier this month, Dawkins claimed that none of the upcoming single-aisle airliners–the Bombardier C Series transport, the Chinese Comac C919, or the MS-21 from Russia’s United Aircraft Corp.–will deliver the required technological step change that air carriers need for the next decade.
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