Mon, May 31, 2004
A330 "Lite" To Rival Dreamliner
If imitation is the most sincere form of flattery, then the
folks on Boeing's Dreamliner team should be honored. Arch-rival
Airbus says it may attempt to have its A330-220 recertified for
lighter loads and shorter hauls, in hopes of directly competing
with the new Boeing 7E7.
Boeing's marketing team certainly hasn't missed the irony of the
Airbus move. "We find it interesting that Airbus is spending so
much time talking about an airplane they say they are not worried
about," said Randy Baseler, Boeing's vice president of airliner
marketing, in an e-mailed response to questions from Bloomberg
News. "Now it appears they may be trying to respond to a
game-changing aircraft with a 'lite' version of a 15-year-old
design."
Airbus and Boeing have been locked in a war of philosophy
chiefly centered on the Dreamliner and the mammoth Airbus A380. At
the heart of the dispute is whether passengers want really big
aircraft that fly long distances from major hubs, or smaller, more
fuel-efficient aircraft that can fly from most airports at much
lower cost per-passenger.
But Airbus is being urged on in developing a lighter, more
efficient version of the A330-220 by its number-one customer,
International Lease Finance Corporation.
"We've spoken with Airbus about offering the plane to Singapore
as an alternative to the 7E7," ILFC Chief Operating Officer John
Plueger told Bloomberg. "The advantage is, they could deliver
quickly. Obviously Airbus is looking very hard at the competitive
landscape as it relates to the 7E7 and this may be one of the tools
they come up with."
Plueger said the recertified A330-220 could be ready within the
next two years, beating the 7E7 to market by at least two
years.
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