Airbus to Widen, Lengthen A350 Cabin
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Airbus to Widen, Lengthen A350 Cabin

Photo by:   Airbus
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Antonio Gozain By Antonio Gozain | Senior Journalist and Industry Analyst - Tue, 11/01/2022 - 13:00

Airbus unveiled a wider, longer cabin for its A350, which is in direct competition for twin-aisle aircraft sales against Boeing, as aviation continues evolving and airlines seek maximum efficiency and passenger comfort.

The Airbus A350 Family has two versions: the A350-900 and the longer fuselage A350-1000. These aircraft fly efficiently on any sector from short-haul to ultra-long-haul routes up to 9,700nm, carrying 300-410 passengers in typical three-class configurations and up to 480 passengers in a single-class layout, according to Airbus.

Airbus and Boeing routinely go head-to-head over fuel efficiency, technology and sales. However, the latest battle involves large cabins “where comfort meets cost.” The French planemaker announced the introduction of a New Production Standard (NPS) to make A350s lighter and more flexible. Changes include scraping four inches off interior walls and making the cabin longer by moving a bulkhead and squeezing the cockpit.

As the wide-body jet market competition resurges, Airbus’ upgrade will allow up to 34 more seats in the cabin, to reach over 400 on an A350-100, putting it closer to the 406-seat Boeing 777X. “Extra seats affect airlines in two ways: they open up more revenue if airlines can fill them, and they reduce cost per seat – a metric that can lead to lower fares and determine which jets airlines buy,” reported Reuters.

Currently, A350 economy cabins across the world have nine 18-inch-wide seats per row. The A350 NPS will increase that to 18.7 inches. Carriers opting to add an extra seat per row to fly 10 abreast will have 17-inch-wide seats. Industry sources told Reuters that this makes it easier to sell the A350 to mainstream carriers that balk at the 16.4-inch seats offered on the current 10-abreast A350.

Currently, Mexican airlines do not have any A350s. Ultra-low-cost-carriers Volaris and Viva Aerobus have found success operating Airbus A320s. The largest planes currently operated by a Mexican carrier are Aeroméxico’s Boeing 787-9 Dreamliners, which can carry 250-290 passengers and operate routes to Los Angeles, New York, London, Madrid, Seoul, Paris, Amsterdam, Santiago, Tokyo, Tijuana and Cancun.

Boeing and Airbus rivalry is constantly reshaping the world’s aerospace industry, from supply chains to airlines. The rivalry began in 1969, when Airbus was founded to consolidate the fragmented aerospace sector in the EU, according to FCM Travel. As the worldwide air travel market expanded from 400,000 passengers in 1973 to 3.96 billion in 2016, Airbus and Boeing fought to gain market share in the growing industry. Besides safety, innovation and efficiency became priorities for both planemakers.

Boeing and Airbus each control around half of the global commercial aircraft market. The industry will need around 39,000 new planes over the next 20 years, with a value of over US$6 trillion, estimate analysts. Any difference in market share adds up to big business and competition is fierce between both planemakers.

Photo by:   Airbus

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