Fri, Aug 20, 2010
Engine Maker Thinks Airbus Should Build An Entirely New
Aircraft
Both Airbus and Boeing have made
noises over the last year about re-engining their popular
single-aisle mid-range airliners ... the A320 for Airbus and the
737 for Boeing.
But Rolls-Royce, the primary engine supplier for the A320,
doesn't think that's the best course of action for Airbus, saying
an entirely new airplane design would take greater advantage of
improvements in efficiency. The Wall Street Journal
reports that R-R's vice president for strategic marketing said
there is "no net benefit" to hanging newer engines on the wings of
A320's set for delivery beginning in 2015. "We can't make the
business case work," he told the paper.
When Airbus CEO Tom Enders talked about the re-engining plan at
Farnborough, he said the business case was "very convincing."
A320 Production Line
The paper reports that both GE and Pratt & Whitney have told
Airbus they can offer new engines for the A320. The current
powerplants cost about $10 million per airplane, and then generates
a revenue stream for Rolls-Royce in maintenance and parts that can
exceed that initial cost by several times over the life of the
aircraft.
Airbus has said that the improvements in materials and
technology that would justify a clean-sheet airplane are not on the
horizon, and that it sees offering new engines as a way to provide
the updates airlines are demanding for older-design aircraft. But
Nutall said the needed advancements are about 10 years away.
New engine developments by Pratty & Whitney are already
apparently making Rolls-Royce nervous. Pratt has developed a
"Geared Turbofan" and has hinted it might break away its
International Aero Engine partnership with R-R.
Southwest Airlines COO Mike Van de Ven said at an industry
conference in June that planemakers need to start thinking about
new designs to replace their workhorse single-aisle jets. He said
any re-engining plan would offer only "marginal improvements" that
would not justify investment on the part of airlines. Boeing, for
its part, reportedly is leaning towards waiting another 10
years and then introducing an all-new replacement for the 737.
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