The Airbus A330neo is the successor to the very popular A330 series. Whilst the A330-900neo has seen plenty of success as the A330-300 replacement, the smaller A330-800neo has not been so fortunate. Why is this the case and what recent developments do we know?

Why the A330neo exists

The original A330 series is arguably one of the most successful Airbus lines next to the A320. There are two variants:

  • A330-200 - 246 passengers to a range of 7,250 nmi (Nautical Miles). So far 660 orders
  • A330-300 - 300 passengers to a range of 6,350 nmi. So far 789 orders

It has found success as the long-haul workhorse of many fleets, traveling with ease across the Atlantic and linking medium- to high-density cities.

However, the march of technological change is relentless and when improvements in engines and fuel efficiency came to the fore, Airbus decided to update its most popular model; the A320. This 'neo' (New Engine Option) version of the aircraft, essentially 95% the same frame with different engines and winglets, was incredibly popular.

So seeing what worked well, Airbus decided to overhaul their next most popular aircraft, the A330 series.

"It builds on the proven economics, versatility and reliability of the A330 Family, while reducing fuel consumption by 25% per seat versus previous generation competitors and increasing range by up to 1,500nm compared to the majority of A330s in operation." - Airbus press release

Kuwait A330-800neo
Kuwait, Uganda and one other buyer are the only customers for the -800neo. Photo: Airbus

What variants of the A330neo are there?

Like the original A330, there are two A330neos. They are essentially designed to replace their counterparts, with a few improvements.

They are:

  • A330-800neo - 300* passengers to a range of 8,150 nmi
  • A330-900neo - 371* passengers to a range of 7,200 nmi

Like the previous two, one is designed for larger passenger numbers but a smaller range, whilst the other has a bigger range.

A330neo
The new features of the A330neo. Photo: Simple Flying / Airbus

But this 'successor' story doesn't quite add up when you look at the figures. The A330s sold quite well, how have the sales been for the A330neos?

  • A330-800neo - 10 sales
  • A330-900neo - 262 sales

So far only two airlines have ordered the A330-800, Uganda Airlines, and Kuwait Airlines. Hawaiian did have an order for them, but backed out and ordered the Boeing 787-9 instead. The reason? Boeing beat Airbus on price.

Why is the A330-800neo not as successful?

There are actually a few reasons why airlines are not so interested:

  • Not a good A330 replacement – Many of the A330-200s that Airbus hopes to replace with the new type are actually a little too young. Typically, the airlines who have the A330-200 hope to use them for at least 10 years before ordering a replacement aircraft, and they’re not quite there yet.
  • Too many second hand A330s on the market - Those airlines that do replace their A330s with another aircraft actually sell on their A330s that would be sold to new airlines. There are too many well maintained and perfectly useful original A330s on the market to justify
  • Not a good Boeing 767 replacement – Many airlines have aging 767s that they would love to replace. However, either the A330-800neo doesn’t exactly scratch the itch perfectly or it came a little too late as the airlines have already found a replacement plane.
  • Not a good competitor to the 787-9 – Unfortunately, the A330-800neo is the lesser aircraft in that fight, costing more and being less fuel-efficient. The fact that Hawaiian canceled their order for the 797-9 is very telling.
Simple Flying
Hi Fly has plenty of A330-900neos on order. Photo: Simple Flying

What should airbus do about the A330-800neo?

Airbus is optimistic that they are currently ahead of the curve with the A330-800neo and soon they will be flush with orders from old and new customers alike.

However, they recently delayed the certification of the A330-800neo. They did not issue a statement about why, only saying that they were focusing on the A220 and helping get that line up to speed.

When we last discussed this topic, a few readers had some armchair suggestions for Airbus:

  • Cancel the type - Airbus should straight up cancel the A330-800neo and roll the 10 orders into the A330-900neo.
  • Change the market - Airbus could optimize the aircraft for shorter routes instead of long haul and offer it as a Boeing 797 counterpart. Essentially the upper end of the gap in the middle of the market model.

What do you think? Let us know in the comments!