Airbus will reduce its production of A330s from 10 to nine per month from the fourth quarter of 2015 as it transitions to the re-engined A330neo.
Tom Williams, Airbus’ executive vice-president programmes says that the reduction will allow it to maintain a smooth production flow as it transitions to the enhanced type.
“With the recent commercial success we’ve seen following the launch of the A330neo, in addition to the new 242 tonne weight variant and the A330 optimised for regional routes, we are confident we will sustain a steady production towards the A330neo ramp up period,” he adds.
Airbus has been producing 10 A330s per month since 2013, which it says is the industry’s highest production rate for a widebody aircraft.
Flightglobal’s Ascend Fleets database shows that Airbus has a backlog of 233 baseline A330s, including passengers, freighters and military aircraft. To date, it has received commitments for 121 A330neos from six airlines and leasing companies, including one undisclosed customer.
Airbus launched the A330neo at the Farnborough air show in July. The type will be powered by Rolls-Royce Trent 7000 engines, and is due to enter service in the fourth quarter of 2017.
Source: Cirium Dashboard
