Analysts from the Bank of America have suggested that Airbus may unveil a larger version of its A220 aircraft as early as next month. The European aircraft manufacturer may take advantage of the 2023 Paris Air Show, which takes place from June 19th through June 25th, to introduce the A220-500 to the world.

Increased competition for Boeing

A stretched version of the A220 would bring the aircraft into direct competition with the Boeing 737 MAX 8. The A220-500 could accommodate up to 170 passengers. By contrast, the current -100 and -300 variants can carry up to 135 and 160 passengers, respectively. Boeing's range of narrowbody aircraft, meanwhile, does not currently cater for anything less than a 150-passenger capacity.

The A220 also has the advantage of being a more modern, lightweight aircraft, bringing with it the associated environmental and economic benefits of lower fuel consumption. The aircraft is quieter too, offering improved passenger comfort.

That said, while a stretched A220 would provide Airbus with greater dominance in the narrowbody aircraft market, it may also cannibalize some of its A320 family orders. Airbus may also need to choose a second engine option in addition to that currently provided by Pratt & Whitney, in order to avoid the engine manufacturer's ongoing supply chain issues.

The largest A220 operators are currently:

• Delta Air Lines - 45x A220-100s, 15x A220-300s
• airBaltic - 41x A220-300s
• Air Canada - 33x A220-300s

The Paris Air Show

The Paris Air Show will be held at Le Bourget Airport (LBG), and is currently the largest aerospace exhibition in the world, ahead of the UK's Farnborough Air Show and the Dubai Air Show. The show is held every two years, and as 2021's show was canceled due to the pandemic, this year will mark the first Paris Air Show since 2019.

Airbus managed to secure almost 400 aircraft orders at the 2019 Paris Air Show. The manufacturer will no doubt be hoping to equal or beat that figure this year, but the question remains, will its A220-500 be on the books?

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Airbus rules out the A220-500, for now

In a statement reported by Bloomberg, when asked about the rumors, a spokesperson for Airbus ruled out unveiling the A220-500 at the present time, saying,

“The A220-100 and -300 are the priority, and we’re not launching a new product in the current environment."

Simple Flying has reached out to Airbus for further comment. It remains to be seen whether the A220-500 will in fact make its debut at the Paris Air Show, but with just four weeks to go until the event kicks off, there is not long to wait.

Does introducing the A220-500 in the current market make sense for Airbus? Find out more with this report from the Simple Flying team.

Do you think Airbus will unveil the A220-500 at the Paris Air Show next month? If so, which airlines do you see putting in an order?

Sources: Bloomberg, ch-aviation.com

• 

  Airbus

  Stock Code:

  AIR

  Date Founded:

  1970-12-18

  CEO:

  Guillaume Faury

  Headquarters Location:

  Toulouse, France

  Key Product Lines:

  Airbus A220, Airbus A320, Airbus A330, Airbus A340, Airbus A350, Airbus A380

  Business Type:

  Planemaker