Airbus A350 Stretch: The Looming Challenge to Boeing
In the world of sky giants, the commercial jet industry is largely a two-player game—Airbus and Boeing. It’s the kind of duopoly that makes you think of epic tangos or bitter rivalries on a long-running soap opera. Plenty of drama, tears, and a whole lot of money. With both companies having their proverbial plates full, they’re not exactly itching to release anything groundbreaking. Still, sticking to the status quo isn’t always an option, and that’s where new spins on existing aircraft come into play. Enter stage left: an Airbus plot twist.
What’s Airbus Scheming With the A350?
In a tantalizing tête-à-tête with Aviation Week, Airbus CEO Guillaume Faury lifted the curtain slightly on their master plan. What is Airbus going to do about Boeing’s newly unveiled—though endlessly delayed—777-9? Well, rather than channeling their inner mad scientist with a brand-new design, Airbus is considering giving the A350 a little stretch. Because, why reinvent the wheel when you can just upgrade your current car, right?
Faury laid it out plainly: stretching the A350 seems like the natural progression in their product line. A steady step up from the A350-900 and the A350-1000, the goal is to make something longer, more capacious, and definitely more impressive. It’s classic Airbus logic—why make life more complicated with a completely new model when they are already elbow-deep in producing planes?
Currently, the A350 family includes the not-so-modest 66.8-meter-long A350-900 and its bigger sibling, the 73.8-meter-long A350-1000. Boeing’s 777-9, our protagonist’s rival, holds a length of 77.6 meters, setting the bar high. Imagine stretching the A350-1000 a few more meters to match that. It’s the airplane equivalent of platform shoes at a disco.
The Practicality of a Super-Size Option
The idea of whipping up different versions of an airplane model isn’t just for kicks and giggles. It’s practical. Streamlining gets a thumbs up from crew trainers and fleet planners alike. Fewer headaches all around!
However, don’t go holding your breath for this longer A350 just yet. The air is thick with demand for current Airbus models, particularly the comfy A350-1000. If airlines aren’t clambering for the new 777-9 when it finally makes its debut (if ever), there won’t be much rush for Airbus to stretch itself too thin, literally.
Plus, tackling a plane extension isn’t a walk in the park. Oh no, there are hurdles. First, they’ll need incremental tweaking in the existing A350 to ensure length can be added without giving up ground—er, sky—on its range. The silver lining? The A350 is based on new-age tech, unlike Boeing’s recent attempts to shake the dust off their ancient 737 models. Confidence levels are high here.
Future Gazing: What’s on the Horizon?
With the A350 set to perhaps grow longer legs, eventually, Airbus is eyeing a direct rivalry with Boeing’s flashy newbie. No dates are set in stone (or even concrete), but it’s clear somewhere down the line, a larger A350 will emerge, aiming to serve more passengers and redefine “spacious economy”.
Right now, Airbus is busy managing a dinner plate of requests as it stands, and with Boeing confined by various challenges, Airbus can smile confidently. No immediate threats to handle, just steadily planning their enlarged future. So, are we all shopping for invisible elastic seats yet?
In the meantime, while we dream of future flights, take a breather and check out a vacation spot closer to earth—like the Val Seny ski resort for unwinded perspectives and chilly leisure.
What are your thoughts on Airbus going for the stretched A350? Too ambitious or a savvy move?