{"id":14721,"date":"2026-05-21T07:37:07","date_gmt":"2026-05-21T07:37:07","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/netherlands\/14721\/"},"modified":"2026-05-21T07:37:07","modified_gmt":"2026-05-21T07:37:07","slug":"airbus-27-year-march-to-a-new-airplane","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/netherlands\/14721\/","title":{"rendered":"Airbus\u2019 27 year march to a new airplane"},"content":{"rendered":"

Subscription Required<\/p>\n

Open to All Readers<\/p>\n

By Scott Hamilton<\/p>\n

Background<\/p>\n

May 21, 2026, \u00a9 Leeham News: We completed a multi-part series last month on Boeing\u2019s 30-Year March to a New Airplane.<\/a> Now, it\u2019s Airbus\u2019s turn.<\/p>\n

It will be around 27 years between new airplane program launches, based on some moving targets.<\/p>\n

The A350 was Airbus\u2019 last all-new airplane design. (The A220 doesn\u2019t count; this program was purchased from Bombardier.)<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Figure 1. There is a plethora of new aircraft concepts and derivatives being discussed by various companies over the coming decade. Airbus has key decisions to make. Source: Leeham News.<\/p>\n

In 2004, Airbus launched what would become the first version of the A350. It was an extreme makeover of the A330. Rolls-Royce Trent engines developed for the Boeing 787 were chosen for the new A350. A new composite wing replaced the A330\u2019s metal wing. A few dozen A350s were sold, but it wasn\u2019t long before Airbus realized this was going to be a loser.<\/p>\n

After more false starts, Airbus launched the revamped A350 in 2006, called the XWB, for Xtra Wide Body. Since the A350 was Airbus\u2019 response to the 787, the final version was slightly wider (hence the \u201cXtra Wide Body\u201d), but narrower than the 777 fuselage. Airbus tried to straddle the 777 and 787 lines. The design was a compromise. LNA will discuss this further in our new series.<\/p>\n

Airbus CEO Guillaume Faury previously said he expected to launch a new airplane program in 2030. This would follow about two years of testing the CFM RISE Open Fan engine, designed for the single-aisle replacements of the A320 and Boeing\u2019s 737.<\/p>\n

Engine testing was to begin in 2027. It now isn\u2019t slated to begin until 2029. This means that a program launch is unlikely before 2031. That\u2019s 27 years after the launch of the original A350. Whether 2004 or 2006 is the appropriate launch date, and if 2031 is good or a launch comes later, it\u2019s still a long time between new airplane programs.<\/p>\n

LNA\u2019s new product tracking at Airbus<\/p>\n

Just as LNA spent three years tracking Boeing\u2019s path to a new airplane, we\u2019ve tracked Airbus\u2019 activities. As with Boeing, executives and officers have made plenty of public statements. Airbus has frequently showcased new aircraft concepts and discussed alternative clean-energy ideas. It\u2019s been open about its Wing of Tomorrow project.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Figure 2. An early concept of hydrogen-powered airplanes by Airbus. The turboprop is now a four-engine concept. Source: Airbus.<\/p>\n

As with LNA\u2019s tracking of Boeing, we\u2019ve talked with the supply chain, well-placed sources within Airbus, others, and we know where to look in the public domain on the Internet for key information.<\/p>\n

Like Boeing, Airbus declined to make anyone available for interviews. Unlike Boeing, which didn\u2019t cooperate with LNA at all (in fact, Boeing reneged on an interview it had agreed to), Airbus answered questions and provided information via its corporate communications department.<\/p>\n

Choices
\n\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

One concept for the Airbus Wing of Tomorrow. Credit: GKN, Airbus.<\/p>\n

In recent years, Airbus floated the concepts of a stretched A220, commonly referred to as the A220-500. Internally, Airbus calls the concept the A220S for Stretch.<\/p>\n

There\u2019s also been a hydrogen-powered four-engine turboprop, Blended Wing Body, and tube-and-wing aircraft illustrated.<\/p>\n

But the big decision to come is when to replace the A320neo family\u2014and with what engine. Christian Scherer, a lifer at Airbus who served as chief strategist, chief salesman, and, most recently, CEO of Airbus Commercial Aircraft, has been a strong proponent of the CFM RISE Open Fan engine. He was also the leading proponent of the A220S.<\/p>\n

But Scherer retired on Dec. 31. His successor, Lars Wagner, appears to favor proceeding with the A220S. An announcement might come as early as this year.<\/p>\n

But he joined Airbus from his position as CEO of MTU\u2019s engine unit. MTU is a big contractor to Pratt & Whitney on the Geared Turbo Fan. PW dismisses the Open Fan as a viable option for the next single-aisle airplane. Wanger\u2019s position is unknown.<\/p>\n

Hydrogen-powered airplanes, the first with a program entry-into-service goal of 2035, now appear to be on the back burner indefinitely.<\/p>\n

LNA will take a deep dive into these choices. The Series begins on Thursday behind the paywall.<\/p>\n

Lots of Caveats<\/p>\n

As with Boeing, there are many caveats to the conclusions LNA will draw in the coming series. Boeing has some caveats unique to it due to the prolonged 737 MAX crisis, delays, and agonizingly slow certification of the MAX 7 and MAX 10. But there are plenty of common caveats.
\nGlobal or regional events, such as pandemics and conflicts that have global implications. The Iran War is an example of the latter, in which the full implications have yet to be understood.
\nA global recession, such as the one beginning in 2008.
\nWhat happens if Embraer forces Airbus\u2019 hand prematurely by launching a new single-aisle airplane program?
\nEngine development: new engines must achieve double-digit reductions in fuel consumption compared to today\u2019s engines. They must demonstrate maturity to ensure reliable, durable in-service operations. An entirely new engine is needed for the MOM-category airplane. GE must satisfy the industry that its proposed RISE Open Fan engine isn\u2019t a pipe dream. Pratt & Whitney must regain customers\u2019 confidence that the decade-long debilitating problems with its GTF engine are over. Rolls-Royce must finance the development of not just one but possibly two new engines.
\nWhat will Airbus\u2019 response be if Boeing launches a New Midmarket Airplane (NMA) or similar New Lite Twin (NLT) first, as early as 2028? Boeing has the opportunity to reclaim the leadership in the Middle of the Market that has been eroded by the A321LR and A321XLR. An NLT\/NMA freighter to replace the 767-300ERF might be a better option than a new-production 787-9F, which Boeing has already fundamentally designed.<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

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