Airbus will launch the new A321 with nearly 200 orders

PARIS, France (Reuters) – Airbus will launch a long-range version of its A321neo jet at the Paris Air Show Monday, with the aim of creating new routes for airlines with smaller planes and aircraft. 39, attend the plans of his rival Boeing market jet.

The European planner will announce nearly 200 orders for the new model – the A321XLR – during the week, sources close to the case told Reuters.

The largest annual event in the aerospace industry, which alternates with the Farnborough Airshow (Great Britain), is traditionally a fierce clash between the commercial teams of Airbus and Boeing on the commercial aircraft market worth 150 billions of dollars.

Analysts expect this year's show to be relatively mild, however, as economies slow, trade tensions and geopolitical uncertainty upset airlines, highlighted by a warning on Lufthansa profits in Germany on Sunday. evening.

Airbus and Boeing are also struggling with their own problems. The American planner is trying to get her 737 MAX, the world's best-selling aircraft, back into service after being stranded as a result of two fatal accidents. Airbus, meanwhile, is struggling with a long corruption scandal.

Boeing boss Dennis Muilenburg said on Sunday that he was planning to announce his orders for jumbo jacks at the show but that his main focus during the event would be safety.

Analysts expect some 400 to 800 commercial aircraft orders and commitments at the show, up from 959 at Farnborough last year, though it may be difficult to get the job done. identify new cases against firm commitments and reverse models.

The Airbus A321XLR is set to become the longest narrow-body jet, while airlines seek to maximize the flexibility of the more fuel-efficient single-aisle aircraft.

Its range of 4500 nautical miles will far exceed the Boeing 757 out of production and place it in the category of long jump, occupied by jets more expensive expensive.

It also falls into a range category targeted by a potential mid-market twin-aisle jet – the NMA – currently under review by Boeing.

But there is a debate about whether passengers will enjoy traveling longer distances on medium-haul aircraft and at what cost.

In particular, the ramp-up of the single-aisle long-distance jet involves looking back over years of industrial marketing on the benefits of more spacious cabs to combat jet lag on long journeys.

Muilenburg, of Boeing, said on Sunday that the A321XLR would only "strike out a benefit" from the NMA's market segment.