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DUBAI — The base of airlines currently flying the Airbus A220 have pushed the plane maker toward a more conservative and less performant stretch design that prioritizes time to market over transcontinental range, Airbus Commercial Aviation CEO Christian Scherer said in an interview with The Air Current at the Dubai Airshow.
Scherer said he had previously believed transcontinental capability was necessary after hearing repeatedly from U.S. airlines in the early 2000s that were frustrated the A320ceo couldn’t make it across the U.S. non-stop during westbound flights, particularly during the winter months. “I was proven wrong,” Scherer told TAC regarding that belief.
Related: Airbus CEO: A220-500 launch paced by program profitability
The design consensus for the so-called A220-500 or A221 has gone through a variety of iterations, as it does for every aircraft, but in 2022 Scherer pushed the fuselage elongation with room in a single class for 170 to 180 seats to be capable of crossing the U.S. coast to coast. That would’ve required a significantly greater scope of changes to match the A220-300’s 3,450-nautical mile range with a profitable payload, including a higher thrust powerplant and potentially changes to the wing.
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