Aircraft
Airbus Outlines A330 To Neo And Beyond
New engines on the old airframe are just the start for improvements to the A330.
A worker at the Airbus pylon manufacturing plant in Saint Eloi (Toulouse) completes titanium Rib 12, part of the engine pylon for the initial A330neo flight test aircraft.
A worker at the Airbus pylon manufacturing plant in Saint Eloi (Toulouse) completes titanium Rib 12, part of the engine pylon for the initial A330neo flight test aircraft.

Twenty-one years after the Airbus A330 entered service, the manufacturer is preparing to introduce the Neo (“New Engine Option”) variant, for which it plans to freeze the design by next month. After the Series 200 and 300 and regional and cargo versions, the re-engined Series 800 and 900 add a further generation to the successful twin-aisle twinjet. Earlier this year, the A330neo reached “concept freeze” allowing Airbus to proceed with detailed component and parts design.