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N and at noon, Airbus employees greet the newestborn of their family of planes in Toulouse. The Bombardier C Series becomes the A220. And a few hours later, the European aircraft manufacturer could announce the first major order for the new model.
The low-cost American airline JetBlue wants to buy 60 units. The temporal proximity of the two ads is not a coincidence. "Look: we wake up the show as the new owner of drowsiness," Airbus means. After all, the aircraft manufacturer has ambitious plans for the renamed aircraft program.
It is almost exactly ten years since Bombardier officially launched the C Series at the Farnborough Air Show. Nevertheless, the series of models at the cutting edge of technology is far from the orders until now. Until its acquisition by Airbus, it came only 402 copies ordered.
This is partly explained by the fact that the Bombardier model caused heavy losses, so potential customers questioned the future of the program. On the other hand, this is partly because Airbus officially launched the A320neo at the end of 2010, a reinterpreted version of its medium-haul aircraft. Many airlines have preferred to order it instead of Series C.
"For this to succeed, we must sell it now"
The European aircraft manufacturer now wants to do everything to give a new name and a new power to the regional plane. Give a new sales dynamic to the sales teams. "We are pleased and proud to welcome this product into our family," says Guillaume Faury, CEO of Airbus. "To succeed, you have to sell it now."
A220 Sales Manager David Dufrenois now wants to apply for orders of at least 100 copies this year. Airbus sales manager Eric Schulz is even more ambitious. When asked what sales targets he had for the A220 this year, he replied with a laugh: "Several Hundreds."
As a result of JetBlue's orders, other orders could follow the Farnborough Airshow next week. The biennial aviation show should focus on the competition that Airbus and Boeing currently offer to the regional jet market.
A few days ago, following the takeover of C-Series by Bombardier, its American rival announced that He would take over the majority of his civil aircraft division from Embraer in Brazil. 19659005] Segment neglected for a long time
Embraer is the second major supplier of regional aircraft with a hundred seats alongside Bombardier with its jet aircraft E and E2. ATR, a joint venture of Airbus and Leonardo Finmeccanica, is building regional turboprop aircraft with up to 70 seats. Airbus and Boeing had long neglected the regional jet segment themselves and preferred to focus on larger jets.
But the arrival of new competitors from China and Russia in the passenger aircraft market has apparently led to a rethink. They can supplement their wallets by buying back in a small stream, without having to spend a lot of money on the development itself.
The need for smaller aircraft models with a central aisle like the A220 Airbus estimated in the next 20 years to about 6000 copies. The European aircraft manufacturer wants to take at least half of this market. With five different aircraft models with a central corridor, airlines are offered a simpler solution for their fleet compared to Boeing, according to Airbus. For Boeing it is with the models of Embraer seven.
A319 should continue to be sold
The largest version of the aircraft bought from Bombardier, the A220-300, has 130 to 160 seats and costs according to the current price 89 million dollars. Airbus considers it an ideal supplier for major airline hubs and the least risky solution for start-up airlines.
The smaller A220-100 with 100 to 135 seats in turn presents the aerospace manufacturer as the least risky solution for newly opened roads, growing regional airlines and operating in an urban or difficult environment. It will cost $ 79 million each.
The A319, for which there are still 56 orders in the newly motorized version, will also be offered. According to the catalog price of $ 101.5 million, the expensive model with 124 seats is ideal in harsh conditions such as high-altitude airports or the hot climate, says Antonio Da Costa, director of Airbus. In turn, the A320 is considered the workhorse of short and medium-haul airlines, while the larger A321 is touted as the best solution for highly competitive markets and entry into the long-haul segment. The order of JetBlue was a success for Embraer and Boeing. Because the American airline has 60 e-jets in its fleet, which must now be replaced by the A220. In addition, JetBlue should cancel an additional order for another 20 e-jets. Delta ordered 75 A220 jets and was the first US customer.
Airbus plans to build a second arrival line in Mobile, USA, for the Bombardier program, with a production capacity of 50 to 60 aircraft per year. The first jets made here will be delivered in 2020. The United States is expected to account for 40% of the expected market for small passenger aircraft, as the Airbus A220 estimates.
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