Airbus are 'confident' of 100-plus A350 orders

http://icnorthwales.icnetwork.co.uk/news/regionalnews/tm_objectid=15548133&method=full&siteid=50142&headline=airbus-are--confident--of-100-plus-a350-orders-name_page.html ^ | May 23 2005 | Eryl Crump

[Righty_McRight]

AIRBUS is expected to launch orders for its brand new A350 aircraft, being developed to compete against rival Boeing's 7E7 Dreamliner.

Airbus is confident more than 100 orders for the A350 twin-jet will be announced at the Paris Air Show next month.

If announced, the orders will be a huge boost for Airbus's plant at Broughton where wings for all its jets are made.

Head of commercial sales John Leahy said negotiations for the A350 are being conducted with several airlines.

He said: "We are in final talks with several companies. We'll have more than 100 firm orders in the order book for the A350 to announce at Paris.

"This is an all-new aircraft. Since December we improved width, range, seat costs, economics. We changed the aircraft three or four times in the past 90 days. We achieved an eight-tonne weight reduction through the use of new technologies. Sixty per cent of the A350 structure is in advanced materials."

Airbus has requested launch aid funding from the governments of France, Germany, Spain and the UK for the new jet. The wings will use the latest composite material technologies.

The firm is thought to be seeking about £700m from European governments towards the likely £2.75bn cost of the A350 which will go head-to-head in the battle for new orders with Boeing's new 787. The company is keen to get a decision by mid-June.

Leahy also sees "good prospects" for the A380 super-jumbo with some major US airlines showing interest despite their financial troubles.

He said: "There won't be an imminent announcement, but we are in discussion with the two American airlines that currently operate (Boeing) 747s."

The two major US passenger airlines which operate the 747 are Northwest, which recently ordered the 787, and United Airlines, which is currently in Chapter 11 bankruptcy.

Leahy added that Airbus is also in talks with Cathay Pacific regarding the A380.

"We're confident they will place an order soon. And British Airways will come around.

"With BA it's not a matter of if but when.

"One of the biggest hubs of the A380 will be London Heathrow.

"It's just not possible for BA not to operate the aircraft in BA colours," he said..

[Righty_McRight]

Airbus has requested launch aid funding from the governments of France, Germany, Spain and the UK for the new jet.

Why do they need launch aid if they're so confident that it will be a great plane?

[Righty_McRight]

Ah cripes, messed up the source!

The Vale Advertiser

[Brilliant]

At $5-6 billion per plane, you need all the help you can get.

[Eric in the Ozarks]

"We've changed the aircraft three or four times in the last 90 days."
Sounds like this baby is ready to fly...

[taxed2death]

If the rudders continue to fall off of them, I suppose the airlines will have to keep replacing them.

Job security.....kewel.

[Arkie2]

That doesn't sound like a well thought out and well engineered airplane. It sounds like a committee of desperate salesmen telling Airbus "this thing's not selling and we need to cut weight now". I'll be surprised if they're not paying airlines to take them to get some orders on the books.

[Eric in the Ozarks]

"Eight tonne weight reduction." Were'd 18,000 pounds go ?

[Righty_McRight]

They're loaning these guys $250 million. They have $250 million to loan out but they need to borrow money for the a350.

US Air, America West to Merge
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1407018/posts#comment?q=1

[N. Theknow]

Deja Vu all over again

The Bristol Brabazon:

The Brabazon was to fail for reasons of economics. She was conceived following an era when passenger flying in England and Europe was the domain of civil servants in transit, business executives and the well-off. The airliner was viewed in the same light as the ocean liner. BOAC considered passengers would find a long non-stop flight almost intolerable and should therefore be provided with 200 cu. feet for comfort, and 270 cu. ft. for luxury. This equates with about three times the interior size of a modern family car, per airline passenger.

The 1944 version of the proposed airliner gave it a 25 ft. diameter fuselage (about 5 ft. greater than a Boeing 747) with upper and lower decks. This enclosed sleeping berths for 80 passengers, a dining room, promenade and bar; or day seats for 150 people. The Committee recommended a narrower fuselage designed for 50 passengers. BOAC agreed, but preferred a design for only 25 passengers.

BOAC were assumed to be a major buyer for the new Brabazon design. An agreement with the airline eventually led to an interior layout housing a forward saloon with six compartments, each for six passengers, and another one for just three; a midships section at higher level above the wing with 38 seats arranged around tables in groups of four, plus a pantry and galley; and a rear saloon with 23 seats in an aft-facing cinema, plus cocktail bar and lounge. The Brabazon was be one of the first airliners to be pressurised and air conditioned. It was also be a very big, heavy aircraft - weighing nearly 300,000 lb - for only 100 passengers.

[flashbunny]

I'm picking up a trend here:

Boeing announces when the HAVE contracts for planes.

Airbus announces when they will likely, er, possibly, er, maybe have contracts for planes.

[Arkie2]

I presume the empty operating weight of this thing is in the neighborhood of 75 tons, so an 8 ton weight reduction would be better than 10%. Maybe they just went ahead and removed the rudder beforehand. That would at least save them the embarrasement of having it fall off in flight later.

[Winniesboy]

Ah, the Brabazon! That brings back memories...Everything you say and quote about it is true, but it was nonetheless a beautiful aircraft and technically very impressive. I actually saw the prototype flying low over Portsmouth, something I shall never forget. Mind you, I was only about eight at the time, so I may have been easily impressed!