NEW AIRCRAFT? - Airbus A320 Future

Video from the channel GlobeTrotting at Dj's Aviation about Airbus A320, linked on its Above Ten Thousand entry. Duration: 9:08. Language: English. Video type: News.

The video reviews Airbus's plans for the A320 family in the short, medium and long term. In the short term, the manufacturer wants to raise family production to a maximum of 75 aircraft a month between the mid and late 2020s. This aims to keep up with a single-aisle order backlog that is growing faster than deliveries. In the medium term, development focuses on the A321neo series and its extra-long-range A321XLR variant, with up to 4,700 nautical miles. When the video was published, the XLR was still awaiting certification.

The production increase runs up against supply chain problems that prevent manufacturers from producing at an optimal pace. Demand is being driven by the post-pandemic recovery and the replacement of older aircraft with more efficient ones. Boeing has made clear it will not compete in the XLR segment, allowing Airbus to move ahead there without a rival and win over customers. Around the 2023 Paris Air Show, Airbus explained that it had not launched any successor programme. It was studying technologies such as hydrogen through research workstreams aimed at entry into service between the mid and late 2030s.

The family's successor will need to burn 25 to 30% less fuel than the current generation and eventually be able to fly on 100% sustainable fuel. It will also need to remain in service into the 2060s or 2070s. In an interview with Aviation Week, Airbus's chief executive argued that an upgrade, a re-engining or a fuselage stretch would not be enough. Engine manufacturers' progress will be key in shaping its design.