Julian Moxon/TOULOUSE Andrew Doyle/VANCOUVER
AIRLINES ARE PUSHING Airbus to study a 15,700km (8,500nm)-range derivative of the A340, combining the fuselage of the -300 with the wing and engines of the -600 "Super Stretch", as an alternative to the smaller, 14,800km- range, A340-8000.
At a recent meeting of potential A340 customers in Toulouse, there was, says Airbus senior vice-president, commercial, John Leahy, "a very strong reaction" that the 225kN (51,000lb)-thrust engines which will power the -600 should be retrofitted to the -300, resulting in a so- called "A340-500".
The meeting follows Air Canada's decision to drop commitments for two A340-8000s because it believes that the aircraft, which is 4.26m shorter than the -300, is too small. Robert Milton, Air Canada's executive vice-president and chief operating officer, says that the airline needs an aircraft capable of flying from Toronto to Hong Kong, against seasonal headwinds, "at full payload and the same [fuselage] length as that of the A340-300".
"Once we studied the numbers there was no way we were ordering the aircraft as it stands," adds Milton. Lamar Durrett, president and chief executive, says that the A340-8000 is "-not big enough for it to be economical on Air Canada routes over those ranges".
The A340-500 would accommodate around 310 passengers - slightly more than on the A340-300 because of the extra two fuselage frames needed for the -600's larger wing. Leahy says that a decision on both could be taken after the next airline meeting at the UK Farnborough air show in September, with a possible launch early in 1997 for service entry in 2000/2001.
It has also become clear that the launch of the proposed high-capacity A3XX may be delayed if there is sufficient airline interest in the A340-500 and A340-600. According to Airbus chief operating officer Volker von Tein, a "logical consequence" of a go-ahead for the re-engined A340s would be a delay of "maybe several years" to the A3XX.
He says that "-it could also happen the other way around - if the market case for the -500 and -600 does not materialise, we'll launch the A3XX as soon as possible".
Development costs for the -600 will be "no less than $1 billion, for the airframe alone", adds von Tein, with the engine installation costs to be paid by the engine manufacturer.
The consortium is also looking at a stretched, 11,300km-range version of the -300, the A340-400. A corresponding 3,700nm range stretch of the A330-300 is also possible, carrying 380 passengers in a three- class cabin.
Source: Flight International
