GROWTH VERSIONS OF Airbus Industrie's A319 and A340, together with a "shrunk" A330, are emerging as the priority items in the manufacturer's continuing studies of possible new models.
A further stretch of the A321 - the so-called A322 - has been ruled out for now, but the consortium is working to position the A310 and A300-600 as replacements for early-model A300s and Boeing 757 and 767s later this decade.
Airbus says that discussions with two unnamed operators, one of which is thought to be South African Airlines, are at a "delicate stage" over the proposed A340-8000, effectively an A340-300 with a 14,825km (8,000nm) range.
Vice-president of strategic planning Adam Brown says that the aircraft would weigh in at 275t, compared with the 271t A340-300, and combine the stronger wing of the -300 with an auxiliary centre fuel-tank already specified by some customers.
Airbus thinks that lower-deck passenger beds might be launched on the -8000, and is stepping up efforts to push other applications of the A330/340 lower deck, including lavatories and even additional seating forward of the wing.
Studies also continue on an A340 re-engine with 178kN (40,000lb)-thrust power plants to squeeze the maximum capability from the aircraft's wing. Brown says that a re-engine A340-8000 would have one-stop round-the-world performance.
Work on the A330 now focuses on a version with ten fuselage frames, fewer, than on the current aircraft - giving it about "40 fewer three-class seats and a 11,120km full-passenger range".
Brown says that, "with a take-off weight of 230t and using increased thrust versions of existing engines", the aircraft could represent "an extremely cost-effective programme". It would use the growth-A340 wing and give "a significant increase in payload and range" He says that Airbus is "working up the business case" for a possible service entry in early 1998.
The "shrunk" model is aimed directly at the Boeing 767-300ER market, while Airbus will use the A300-600R to attack the standard 767-300.
New studies have been launched to see whether the consortium's smallest aircraft (the A319) can be developed past the 70t increased-weight version already on offer. Brown says that final decisions will follow flight-test results, but is "...confident that the A319 has greater potential".
Source: Flight International
