While Airbus has been making most of the headlines this year with the ups and downs of the A380’s progress and the ongoing saga of the A350 launch, Boeing has been quietly getting on with 787 development and flight testing the 777-200LR.
At the time of the A380’s historic roll-out on 18 January, it was already becoming clear that the programme was beginning to slip. While the first flight had been officially scheduled for “early 2005”, the world had to wait until the last week in April to see the giant take to the air. But worse was to come, when it emerged in May that the programme was significantly behind schedule, and the launch customers would have to wait six months longer than planned to get hold of their first A380s.
With six months of the flight-test programme performed, the second A380 has joined the first and more than 350h of the 2,500h of flying has been carried out. Airbus is confident that the initial delivery to launch operator Singapore Airlines will be completed before 2006 is out.
In the meantime, Airbus has opened up a new front in its battle with Boeing, securing 140 orders for its recently launched A350 to counter the fast-selling 787. Despite being weighed down by the transatlantic subsidies row that was partly to blame for delaying the full launch from mid-year, the A350 has evolved from the A330 as a competent rival to the all-new 787, and may even give the 777-200ER a few headaches.
Over in Seattle, reality struck for the 787, which finally lost its “7E7” tag and became another Boeing number. It also took on the appearance of a more conventional airliner compared with early impressions now that the aerodynamicists have had their say.
With the configuration firmed up, the orderbook has gone from strength to strength as Boeing convinces more airlines that their concerns over the fragility of composite fuselages are unfounded. However the effort to secure a firm order for the 787-9 stretch has proved elusive after the deal with Air Canada was suspended due to its dispute over staff concessions. And pressure from Airbus and some customers is forcing Boeing to seriously evaluate a second stretch to create a 290-seater despite the danger that it could pose to the 777-200ER.
Boeing is preparing to steal Airbus’s crown for ultra-long-range airliners as it completes flight testing of the 777-200LR, which has greater range than the current datum set by the A340-500. The first aircraft is due to enter service early next year with Pakistan International Airlines. But this year marked the end for the 757 after 24 years of production and 1,048 deliveries.
For a time it looked like two of Boeing’s other legacy types, the 747 and 767, could also face the chop this year, but a flurry of sales has spared them. The survival of the 747-400 has improved the prospects for Boeing’s latest 747 stretch proposal, the Advanced, and Boeing is expected to decide which to launch by year-end.
In the CIS, the prospects look good for the relaunch of An-124 production at Aviastar, as the demand for outsize cargo capacity outstrips the civil fleet. Aviastar has also completed deliveries of the first of the Tu-204-300 shrink models, while production is gearing up at VASO of the new Il-96-400T freighter.
MAX KINGSLEY-JONES/LONDON
Source: Flight International
