By Tim Hepher
PARIS (Reuters) – Airbus is canvassing airline assist for a possible freighter model of its A350 passenger jet, concentrating on a key stronghold of U.S. rival Boeing as e-commerce lifts demand for transported items, folks accustomed to the matter informed Reuters.
The jet could be the primary freighter spin-off of the newest technology of carbon-fibre jets and assist stabilise output of wide-body jets which have been badly hit by the COVID-19 disaster.
However a launch relies on figuring out sufficient consumers keen to take a punt on fickle cargo demand within the midst of the aviation business’s worst downturn, which has trampled airline funds.
“We’re at all times product developments however don’t touch upon particular programmes,” an Airbus spokesman mentioned.
Air freight demand, which was weak earlier than the COVID-19 disaster, has soared as home-bound customers flip to e-commerce, however analysts warn it’s unstable and liable to prolonged downturns.
Usually about half the world’s air cargo is carried within the bellies of passenger jets, however successful to journey from the pandemic has left the world extra reliant on devoted freighters and conversions of passenger planes.
Though it has vaulted previous Boeing because the world’s largest producer of passenger jets, Airbus has had restricted success in penetrating the freighter fortress of its arch-rival.
It pulled the plug on a freighter model of its A380 superjumbo virtually 15 years in the past and has had no freighters in its order pipeline since December, when Turkey’s MNG Airways cancelled three A330 freighter.
Boeing has delivered 202 of the rival 777 freighter, in contrast with 38 of the A330 cargo model. Dominating the commerce lanes is Boeing’s 747 freighter with greater than 260 delivered.
‘BRIGHT SPOT’
It’s not the primary time a potential new freighter has been mooted. The most recent design on the drafting board at Airbus’s Toulouse headquarters in France includes a barely longer plane than the best-selling Airbus A350-900 jetliner.
Its improvement poses technical challenges since it will contain inserting a cargo door within the composite shell chosen by Airbus to compete with Boeing’s light-weight composite 787.
Consultants say slicing composite is more difficult than conventional aluminium, although Airbus might reap advantages from a choice – seen as pricey on the time – to construct the A350 from composite panels fairly than barrel sections used on the 787.
Business sources estimate Airbus would wish commitments for some 50 plane to go forward with a launch, with Chief Government Guillaume Faury specializing in finishing up a serious restructuring whereas directing sources in the direction of an A321XLR passenger aircraft.
A improvement would price an estimated $2-3 billion.
Temptingly, the booming freight market presents respite from a droop in demand for giant jets that has compelled Airbus and Boeing to slash manufacturing, with A350 output halving to 5 a month.
Greater than a 3rd of wide-body jets bought by Boeing previously 12 months have been freighters.
However the identical disaster that crippled passenger journey has additionally created a glut of unused passenger planes that may be transformed extra cheaply into freighters than shopping for new. Meaning the enterprise case for creating a brand new plane have to be watertight.
“Given the A350 manufacturing charge has been lower … and the cargo market is the one vivid spot within the wide-body market, one must say the chance of an A350F has elevated in comparison with a 12 months in the past,” mentioned Richard Evans, senior guide at UK-based Ascend by Cirium.
Whereas not imminent, a launch might jog Boeing into reacting with a freighter model of its bigger 777X, he added, although Boeing should additionally grapple with delays in its certification.
(Reporting by Tim Hepher. Enhancing by Mark Potter)