A220-500 speculation

[Captain Halliday]

Airbus flying a kite on the A220-500 - possibly to get it into the minds of fleet planners for 2030+.

Airbus Is Coming for Boeing’s 737 — Bloomberg Businessweek

The proposed A220-500 narrowbody jet and the larger A321 could put the US aircraft giant—which won’t have a new plane this decade—in a bind.

stocks.apple.com

 

[RooFlyer]

Airbus flying a kite on the A220-500 - possibly to get it into the minds of fleet planners for 2030+.

Airbus Is Coming for Boeing’s 737 — Bloomberg Businessweek

The proposed A220-500 narrowbody jet and the larger A321 could put the US aircraft giant—which won’t have a new plane this decade—in a bind.

stocks.apple.com

Only ads show for me (and anti-paywall didn't work). Can we get some highlights, pls?

 

[p--and--t]

this is not paywalled

Airbus admits launching the A220-500 - Air Data News

Stretched variant of the single-aisle jet could carry at least 170 passengers. Manufacturer’s CEO said it will choose “the timing carefully”

www.airdatanews.com

 

[Captain Halliday]

Only ads show for me (and anti-paywall didn't work). Can we get some highlights, pls?

Sure:

• Airbus talking up A220-500 as the future of single aisle aircraft
• A stretch of the other A220 variants, it could seat up to 170pax
• They've hinted - without saying directly - that they see it as a threat to the MAX as its 15% more efficient, though will have slightly less range
• The author has expanded that to point out Boeing doesn't have anything in development for single aisle 160-180 seats meaning this could be a cash cow for Airbus
• However, the author also points out the conundrum for Airbus that by developing the -500 too soon, it risks canibalising the A320 which is a best seller.

 

[RooFlyer]

Thanks both; yes, I wondered why it would bring the A220 close to the A320 capacity

 

[docjames]

Airbus are in the box seat - their existing product is selling well, at (seemingly) good margin due to it’s (?perceived/actual) superiority to the Boeing product.

They can now sit and wait for Boeing to make the first move, then respond.

Floating the A220-500 is really just running the flag up to remind Boeing of all the options. But it would allow them to push the -500 into 737-7 territory, and let them push the 320 deeper in 321 territory. ie. They have options then 130-250+ seats in their narrowbody ranges. Boeing made a huge blunder not buying out the Bombardier C series (now Airbus A220).

The story here is really the mess Boeing are in. Airbus are flying

 

[Scarlett]

Thanks both; yes, I wondered why it would bring the A220 close to the A320 capacity

Is there an A319neo, or did the smaller variant not get included in the next gen A320 family refresh. If not, maybe they pitch the A220-500 as a model just below the A320neo series.

Or even for those large airlines who like to reduce their fleet risk by having two complementary types; they could have both A320 and c-series jets.

 

[docjames]

Important point from John Ostrower (via twitter) is that the 321 is sold out to 2029 so cannibalisation of 319/320 is ok in the near term as it would free space for the larger capacity model to be delivered sooner.

Wonder if a launch order would be the 225 and the 321 together or the 225 replacing a carriers 320 order.

This will be out there for a reason - presumably they are starting (in the middle of?) launch order negotiations with someone…..

 

[Berlin]

Airbus are in the box seat - their existing product is selling well, at (seemingly) good margin due to it’s (?perceived/actual) superiority to the Boeing product

Well- the Airbus doesn’t tend to crash and kill everyone on board (without any pilot or maintenance errors) which is a start.