Airbus faces the dilemma of cabin comfort by launching jet A321XLR

PARIS (Reuters) – Airbus is set to break records by launching the longest-range narrow-body jet at the Paris Air Show this week, but jetmakers need to rethink their mantra on comfort then that they sneak up to miles of jets designed for shorter flights. trips.

Airbus and Boeing are promoting new long-haul carbon fiber aircraft, such as the 787 Dreamliner and A350, which offer more spacious cabs and help pbadengers avoid jet lag by providing cabin pressure closer to that felt on the ground.

But they have also added more reach and capacity to older, narrower models such as the A320neo and 737 MAX families, as airlines demand more flexibility through the benefits of highly efficient single-aisle aircraft, which reduce costs.

Airbus is about to go further by adding a headlong run to A321neo with its new A321XLR, whose range of 4,500 nautical miles exceeds the Boeing 757 out of production and place in the long jump category enjoyed by wide-body jets. .

It also falls into a range category targeted by a possible new twin-aisle mid-aisle jet, the NMA, currently under review by Boeing.

But there is a debate as to whether pbadengers will enjoy traveling longer distances on medium-haul aircraft or at what price.

Airline patrons participating in the long-haul panel at the Paris Aviation Forum on Friday decided differently whether narrow-body narrow-beam aircraft or wider aisles with two aisles were better suited to their growing sector.

In particular, the boom of the single-aisle long-range jet involves looking back on years of industrial marketing on the benefits of avoiding jet lag and fatigue on long journeys.

Aircraft cabins are pumped at a higher pressure than the ultra-thin outdoor air at cruise altitude. But the pressure is always lower than at sea level due to structural limitations.

This is not a problem for shorter trips, but travel experts believe that higher altitude setting on older planes can contribute to jet lag on long flights, making the spindle effect worse. schedules.

DILEMMA OF THE CABIN

Although Airbus points out that the Airbus A320 fuselage designed in the 1980s is wider than the competing 737 MAX and therefore has more spacious seats, it also has a lower cabin pressure than modern long-distance alternatives like the Boeing 787 Dreamliner or the Airbus A350.

On these aircraft, the cabin is pressurized to a level equivalent to 6,000 feet, compared to 8,000 feet for the A320 and most other metal-built jet aircraft of all sizes.

For the Airbus A330neo widebody jet aircraft, the cabin height is greater than 7,000 feet but still less than 8,000 feet.

"The XLR cabin pressure could be a problem," said an airline official who studied the plane, asking not to be named.

The company itself has exposed the disadvantages of long-haul cabin flights with high cabin elevation by launching the A320neo family jet business in 2015.

"A lower cabin altitude makes sense for long flights, especially towards their end, when an airplane is able to reach its highest cruising altitude," Airbus said on its website.

For the jet business version, Airbus was able to lower the cabin altitude below 6,400 feet. But it could only do so by reducing the maximum number of trips, which matters relatively little for luxury operators but less attractive for airlines.

Airbus is facing a dilemma: lowering the cabin altitude of the A321XLR and reaching the published goal for long flights, or letting it listen for shorter flights and increase its durability.

Airbus declined to comment.

The A321XLR should be able to fly around eight hours in most cases, connecting cities from the eastern United States to Europe.

Vincent Hodder, head of the low-cost long-haul airline of International Airlines Group, told the Paris-Air Forum that the XLR could be configured to fly up to 10 hours. Level and others are studying it, he says.

For the launch, Airbus is looking for potential customers, including American Airlines and JetBlue, whose goal is to grab up to 200 orders, including investor of American airline Indigo Partners.