An airliner capable of shaking up transatlantic travel and a twin jet with wings so vast they fold will soon take to the skies as Boeing and Airbus begin delivering their latest aircraft. Both are debuting designs that fly further and more economically, factors that will affect travel patterns globally.
The first of these sees Airbus fill a gap in the market left by Boeing. In the eighties, Boeing made a twin jet capable of crossing the Atlantic, yet still small enough to be viable from UK regional airports.
The single-aisle Boeing 757 had two jumbo jet engines, but was only a quarter of the weight of a 747, giving it a huge range. The 757 could easily reach the US east coast, bringing New York services to airports like Bristol and Birmingham.
The 757 still flies the Atlantic with United and Delta, but production ceased in 2004. Boeing, perhaps mistakenly, did not produce a direct replacement, but Airbus has created a stir with its version – a modified A321 known as the LR and an extra-long-range version due to enter service in 2024, the XLR.
The 757 can cover 4,500 miles carrying around 170 people in three classes, including lie-flat business seats. The LR’s range is 4,600 miles, while the XLR’s is 5,400 miles. For context, Manchester to New York is around 3,300 miles. Both models burn up to 30% less fuel than the 757.
Airbus has its own way for the moment because Boeing has yet to commit to a 757 replacement, something it may have to reconsider with Airbus’s new models already impacting airlines’ planning and expansion.
The best examples so far are transatlantic, with New York’s JetBlue using the LR to launch flights to London, Paris and Amsterdam. Another customer, Aer Lingus, has made routes like Hartford and Cleveland viable with the LR.
Aer Lingus and JetBlue have also ordered XLRs, which both will push further across the Atlantic. Wizz Air has bought 47, mostly to fly to and from its new Abu Dhabi base, but said in February it would station some in the UK – perhaps with a view to joining the transatlantic race.
Icelandair has committed to 13 XLRs, with another 12 on option, and will start leasing LRs from 2025. Bogi Nils Bogason, Icelandair chief executive, said the deal allowed “opportunities for future growth by entering new and exciting markets”.
Boeing, meanwhile, is still recovering from the launch of the 737 Max, grounded in 2020 after two disasters that killed 346 people. Pre-Covid, Boeing was mulling a 757 replacement, but told TTG “our single aisle offering is the 737 Max”.
Airbus, though, has not had it all its own way; it produced only 251 A380 super jumbos before production halted, while Boeing has sold more than 1,600 of the nimbler wide-bodied 787.
However, Airbus’s latest twin jet, the A350, gives it the chance to reclaim the long-haul crown. It will do so from 2025 when Qantas launches non-stop flights from Sydney to London on a modified Airbus A350-1000 taking 20-21 hours. It has a range of 11,000 miles, meaning it can operate to any viable city pair in the world.
Boeing’s answer to the A350 is the larger 777X, identifiable by its fold-up wingtips which allow it to fit standard airport gates – and provide an extra 23ft span when extended.
The manufacturer “anticipates” first deliveries in 2025. British Airways, Lufthansa and Emirates are among the first clients for the twin jet with a range of 8,300-10,000 miles (depending on variant) and capacity for 384-426 passengers, compared with the A350’s typical 315-369.
Boeing believes the 777X, with 10% less fuel burn than its competitors, “will change the world one more time”.
But the evidence is airlines are more readily opting for smaller aircraft with greater range like the 787 and A350, meaning Airbus, having been stung by the A380’s lack of sales, is wary of producing another very big aircraft.
Time will tell which of the big two is right.
