Airbus studies higher A350 monthly-rate deliveries. “The market would easily justify over 14 a month on the A350,” Leahy said.

Airbus is exploring higher output of A350 wide-body aircraft, following a similar move by Boeing to help shorten the wait time for customers following its highest order intake ever last year.

The 10-a-month rate targeted for A350s in 2018 could go to 14 thereafter, as per information from Airbus mentioned by Bloomberg.

Airbus and Boeing, the biggest makers of commercial jetliners, have order books stretching out years, making it harder for some customers to upgrade their fleets with more fuel-efficient aircraft like the composite-material A350. Airbus’s net order intake last year was 1,503, topping the 1,355 for Boeing, which kept the crown for the deliveries tally.

“We have some homework to do, but we believe there is potential to go higher,” Airbus Chief Executive Officer Fabrice Bregier said in the annual press conference in Toulouse, where the planemaker and its parent company are based. “My problem is to find production slots.”

Output will increase further in 2015 as A350 production ramps up and again in 2016 if Airbus decides to increase A320 build-rates, Tom Williams, Airbus EVP for programs said.

Airbus may trim A330 production around 2016 as more A350s, although Bregier said he doesn’t expect “a sharp drop.”

With Boeing boosting output of 787 Dreamliners to 14 a month by decade’s end, Airbus is considering keeping pace with its A350, which is now undertaking test flights. Airbus is sticking to its goal of delivering at least one A350 before year-end, according to Bregier.

“The market would easily justify over 14 a month on the A350,” Leahy said.

Airbus’s success so far in keeping the A350 on schedule contributed to last year’s 88%increase in the value of the parent company shares. Airbus Group, formerly called EADS, now has a market of 43 billion euros ($59 billion).

“The risks on the A350 are coming down each day,” Bregier said.

Based on the article “Airbus Studies Higher Output to Follow Boeing in Order Glut” published in Bloomberg

Airbus to decide which aircraft is better to counter the 787 in the 250- to 300-seat sector; A330-300, A330 Neo or A350-800.

The crucial 250- to 300-seat sector is currently being addressed by the A330-300, and COO-Customers Leahy revealed some weeks ago that Airbus is looking at potential modification to the A350-800’s baseline specification.

This includes the “distinct possibility” of enlarging the aircraft, perhaps enough to accommodate an extra couple of seat rows, “to sit on top of the 787-9”, said Leahy. The 787-9, at 63m, is about the same length as the A330-300.

Leahy suggests that the critical battleground is leaning towards the 300-seat sector, rather than the 250-seat category of the smaller 787-8. 

Airbus is still playing down the possibility of re-engining the A330 to compete in the field, although CEO Fabrice Bregier said that re-engining is “always an option for our aircraft”.

He said that Airbus has not put a proposal to airlines to re-engine the type – effectively following the A320neo strategy, to create an A330neo – but acknowledged that “some customers” had put the idea to Airbus.

“That doesn’t mean we implant every idea from our customers,” he said. Bregier added that part of the A330’s attraction is its availability, and that a re-engined version would not be available in the same timeframe.

Leahy added that General Electric, whose GEnx engine could potentially be used to re-engine the A330, was being “very aggressive” in putting proposals to Airbus, but suggested this is because the engine manufacturer is “surprised” that the A330 is “still going” even after the A350’s launch.

GE had been poised to power the original A350 – effectively a re-engined A330, before it was revamped as the current A350 XWB– but has not offered a powerplant for the current A350 range, leaving Rolls-Royce as the only engine option on the family.

Based on the article “Airbus considers stretching A350-800” published in Flight International

Airbus updates the list-prices for all aircraft; A350-900´s price is 295 million $ and A350-1000´s price is 340 million $, more expensive than their competitors.

As usual, Airbus has updated the list prices of its aircraft effective from 1st of January 2014.

Airbus has increased the average list prices of its aircraft by 2.6% across the product line as per  Airbus’ standard escalation formula over the January/2013 to January/2014 period.

“Our new 2014 pricing reaffirms the unbeatable value of Airbus’ modern, fuel-efficient aircraft family,” said John Leahy, Airbus Chief Operating Officer, Customers. “We see continuing strong demand in all aircraft size categories as our reliable, efficient product line enables customers to grow their businesses profitably as well as pleasing passengers who will always favour the most comfortable cabin.”

Boeing updated the list prices last September/2013.

model (million $)                       Boeing                       Airbus                  Airbus (price in 2013)      
767-300ER                              185.8 USD
A330-200                                                                   221.7 USD                    216.1 USD
787-8                                       211.8 USD
A350-800                                                                   260,9 USD                    254.3 USD
787-9                                        249.5 USD
A350-900                                                                   295,2 USD                    287.7 USD
A350-1000                                                                 340,7 USD                    332.1 USD

Price, while important, is only part of the equation, given that the airlines will get substantial discounts off the list price. Timing may prove to be the deciding factor in many negotiations.

 

Based on the press release “New Airbus aircraft list prices for 2014”

5 aircraft less in the A350-800 order-book as India’s Kingfisher Airlines is no longer operating.

 

 Airbus has removed 5 A350-800s (and 5 A380s) originally destined for India’s Kingfisher Airlines from its order book.

Kingfisher placed the order for the 5 A350-800s at the June/2005 Paris Air Show, but as the airline is no longer operating, Airbus decided to remove the aircraft from its backlog.

“Kingfisher founder and chairman Vijay Mallya is still determined to sell his airline. He still has an air operator’s certificate. If he does sell the airline, we took the decision internally here that he probably doesn’t need A380s just right now, so we’re taking them out of the order book, along with the A350s,” Airbus COO-customers John Leahy said.

Current A350 XWB family order-book has 812 orders.

Based on the article “Airbus axes Kingfisher Airlines' A350s, A380s from its backlog” published in ATW

A350 MSN4 flying prototype will have the Qatar logo on the Vertical Tail Plane

Airbus is to roll out its 4^th A350 test-flight aircraft in a special hybrid livery based on the color scheme of Qatar Airways, the launch customer that is to take delivery of its first A350-900 before the end of this year.

The rear fuselage of the MSN4 aircraft will carry Qatar Airways branding, including the Doha-based airline’s oryx logo on the vertical fin.

A source familiar with the plan mentioned in Flight International states that the manufacturer’s A350 product scheme will be on the forward fuselage. “It’s not the first time we’ve done this,” the source added, pointing out that an A310 test aircraft was painted in the livery of Lufthansa and Swissair.

A380 VTP

Airbus has been expecting to fly MSN4 around February and it will be used for tests including noise analysis.

Based on the article “Qatar hybrid livery to feature on test A350” published in Flight International.

“The A350-800 would likely not be built”. But there are still 61 orders that need to be upgraded before officially cancelling the smaller variant of the A350 XWB family.

After the announcement from American Airlines Group to convert all of its order for Airbus A350 aircraft (22 aircraft) to the larger -900 variant, the A350-800 only has 61 remaining firm orders. This decision from American Airlines is considered key for the A350-800 future.

These orders include 12 from lessor Aircraft Purchase Fleet, 10 from Yemenia and 8 from Aeroflot (from originally 18 ordered).

The -800 has not secured an order for over 4 years and its backlog has depleted as customers migrate to the larger -900. Airbus has declared that they had decided to focus on two larger wide-body models (-900 and -1000). During the Paris Air Show in June, Didier Evrard Head of Program said that there was no allocated MSN for first A350-800 yet so it is not expected to be before MSN150.

Qatar Airways CEO Akbar Al Baker (who cancelled an order for the A350-800 and boosted orders for larger types), said the 270-seater would likely not be built. "This is what they (Airbus) told us," he told reporters at a trade fair.

Airbus had also announced in July the Regional variant of the A350-900 with the same engines than previously planned for A350-800.



Based on the article “American converts remaining A350-800s to larger -900s” published in Flight Global

The A350 XWB wingtip deflects more than 5 meters after ultimate load application

Airbus successfully performed the ultimate load test of the A350 XWB’s wing in December/2013, applying loads up to 1.5 times higher than those the aircraft would ever encounter in its entire in-service life.

At ultimate load, the A350 XWB wingtip deflection exceeds 5 meters.

This test was performed on A350 XWB static test airframe that was built specifically to demonstrate the structural integrity of the airframe. The strains induced into the airframe are measured and monitored in real time using more than 10.000 measurement channels. The huge volume of data recorded is analyzed and correlated to the structural computer models which have been used to design the airframe

Airbus already passed the last of the ultimate load tests for the A350 XWB fuselage in early December 2013 in the MSN500 prototype that has been tested in the L34 building that is in the AéroConstellation site in Toulouse.

The same test with the 787 static test airframe. It looks like more flexible.

These successful ultimate load tests are important milestones for type certification and another step on the road entry into service of the A350 XWB in Q4 2014.

 

Based on the press release “A350 XWB passes ultimate load wing test”