Airbus Industrie is stepping up A3XX development work and has reaffirmed its commitment to a launch decision in early 2000. Meanwhile, Boeing continues to play down its Large Aircraft Project Development (LAPD) study efforts in favour of low-cost 747-400X alternatives.
"The pace is picking up and Airbus and its partners have substantially increased resources allocated to the A3XX," says Jack Schofield, chairman of Airbus Industrie North America. "We still hope to go into a market launch early next year."
Airbus is expanding its A3XX design and development workforce and claims to have 600 staff on the programme, with 400 more working on the project at partner level. The next major decision is the location of final assembly.
Planning calls for the lead 550-seat A3XX-100 version to enter service by 2005 - two years behind the original schedule.
Boeing, in contrast, is seeking to dampen talk about launching a new 450/550-seat aircraft to counter the A3XX-100. Chairman Phil Condit says: "We don't think there is a market big enough to support the development."
But the Seattle manufacturer admits that detailed LAPD studies are under way. It says these form part of a large number of current evaluations that include 717, 767, 777 and at least seven 747 iterations, but are not a prelude to a firm programme.
Boeing's strategy is to undermine support for the A3XX by offering earlier deliveries on improved 747 derivatives.
Source: Flight International
