Page 7 - AAA JUNE - JULY 2022 Online Magazine

According to the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA), MAX following the two crashes that killed 346
the design of the additional fuel tank poses “a special risk” in the people.
event of a fire. The agency is reportedly pondering rule changes “IT’S MORE IMPORTANT TO ME THAT
that would force a redesign of the “underbelly fairings” in the lower WE GET OUR DEVELOPMENT TOOLS
fuselage. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), which does
not want to leave anything to chance after the flak it received for WHERE WE NEED BE, DEMONSTRATE
lack of oversight on the 737 MAX, also wants the plane maker to MANUFACTURING CAPABILITY
address the safety risk. In February last year, Boeing chipped in AND MANUFACTURING WHERE
on the issue, submitting to the EASA that the architecture of the WE NEED TO BE BEFORE WE CALL
extra fuel tank “presents many potential hazards.”
OUT THE SPEC ON THE NEXT NEW
Changes in design to address the safety concerns will likely add COMMERCIAL AIRPLANE,”
weight to the plane, negatively impacting its range, but Airbus Boeing CEO David Calhoun’s said during
officials do not seem worried. Gary O’Donnell, who heads the earnings call in January, virtually ruling out a
A321XLR programme, says his aim is to deliver the new jet, which new NMA jet for at least another two years.
was launched at the Paris Airshow in 2019, to customers with
the 4,700 km range previously advertised. According to Stefan At the Bernstein Strategic Decisions
Schaffrath, an Airbus spokesman, the company is currently dis- Conference in June, he reiterated that he does
cussing certification requirements with EASA. The agency, on its not see the company working on a new plane
part, has clarified that fuel tank requirements for the jet are still until digital manufacturing tools are mature
being defined. enough to support a new aircraft program.
“When that happens, then we design the next
The delay will force airlines to rejuggle their plans for the long-range airplane,” Calhoun said. “Why would I rush? No
narrowbody jet, but it is not likely to hurt Airbus as much. A key good reason.”
selling point for the A321XLR - its longer range of up to 5,400 miles
(8,700 kilometers) - gives Airbus it a clear advantage over Boeing Not everyone in the industry has the same
that does not have a comparable aircraft that combines the range opinion. According to a joint survey late last
and passenger capacity of the in-development jet. The 737 MAX year by Bank of America Global Research and
10, the elongated variant of its MAX series, is the closest compe- the Aviation Week Network, 73 per cent of
tition that Boeing can offer, with a capacity of 188-204 (maximum more than 900 respondents said that Boeing’s
of 230 seats) compared to the A321XLR’s capacity of 180-220 next aircraft should be a longer-range, larger

passengers (maximum of 240). The MAX 10’s range - 3,300 NM capacity narrowbody aircraft with lower unit
and significantly shorter than the A321XLR’s 4,700 NM, takes it costs. More than 50 of those who responded
out of the equation when it comes to longer transoceanic routes. to the survey said that the aircraft should be
a “modern 757,” capable of flying 4,500 nm or
Biding Its Time more, thus putting it directly in competition with
Will Boeing spring a surprise at Farnborough and announce plans the A321XLR. ”I think it is inevitable that Boeing
for a clean sheet, “new middle of the market” (NMA) jet, something does something,” says Bank of America Global
that slots in between a 737 and the 767? The chances are slim, Research analyst Ron Epstein.
if one takes into account the crippling double blow the company
suffered due to the pandemic and the global grounding of the According to a recent Bank of America (BAC)
Global Research report, Boeing’s management
does not fully recognize 13 key headwinds,
including overcoming market share loss in the
large narrowbody aircraft market. Airbus is “in
the catbird seat” and can react appropriately
to Boeing’s actions, the report adds. “Boeing
has made a reputation of acknowledging and
adjusting to challenges well after they have
become clear to everyone else. Investors are
now wondering what challenges are not fac-
tored in Boeing’s outlook and could still appear.”

A Popular Choice
As was expected given the jet’s longer range
and the options it provides to carriers in terms
of further develop their network by opening up
newer and more profitable international routes,
the A321XLR has seen several large orders
ASIAN AIRLINES & AEROSPACE June_July 2022 | 7