IndustryAirbus admits it is studying stretched A350 and A220 variants amid strong demand
Airbus acknowledged it is studying stretched versions of both the A350 widebody and the A220 narrowbody, while stopping short of committing to launch either program, CEO Guillaume Faury said this week.
Speaking to reporters, Faury said the manufacturer is examining the potential for higher production rates on the A350 and acknowledged interest in a larger variant of the aircraft, often referred to as an A350-2000.
Airbus is currently ramping up A350 output toward a planned rate of 12 aircraft per month by 2028. Faury said increasing production beyond that level is being assessed but would require further industrial preparation.
The A350-2000 concept, a stretched development of the A350-1000 with potencial more than 400 seats, has long been viewed as a potential response to the Boeing 777-9, the largest member of Boeing’s 777X family. Faury said Airbus sees demand for a larger aircraft within the A350 family but stressed that no formal decision has been taken.
“We see a demand for a larger plane,” he said, adding that a stretch would be a “natural evolution” of the platform. Airbus is also focused on bringing the A350 freighter into service, which he described as a priority before committing to additional variants.
Less range for more seats
On the A220 program, Faury confirmed that Airbus continues to evaluate the so-called A220-500, a stretched version of the A220-300.
The A220-500 is widely expected to seat around 160 to 170 passengers in a typical two-class configuration. Compared with the A220-300, it would likely trade some range for higher capacity, making it particularly attractive to low-cost carriers operating high-density short- to medium-haul routes.
Faury said market feedback indicates strong interest in the larger A220, describing it as “more a question of when than if,” but he emphasized that Airbus has not yet reached the stage of launching the program.
The manufacturer is currently focused on increasing A220 production and integrating work packages from Spirit AeroSystems into the program, steps that must be completed before any decision on a stretched version is made.
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