The production facility responsible for the A380 is receiving a new lease of life as Airbus is set to begin building its popular A321neo at the site. Richard Schuurman visits Toulouse for Aviation News
So you’re an airline CEO and fancy adding a dozen or so Airbus A321neos to your fleet… Chief commercial officer Christian Scherer will be most happy to accept your order, but he’s going to keep you waiting for your new jets until at least 2029. That’s because the A320neo family is sold out at current production rates.
While it must be most reassuring to Airbus that their single-aisles are selling so well, the ever-increasing backlog combined with supply chain problems is also cause for concern. The European airframer wants to deliver as many aircraft as possible, but is restricted by the limitations of its supply chain. The A321neo and its sub-variants, the A321LR and ‘XLR, are the best sellers of the family. Last year alone, Airbus delivered 264 A321neos, while by the end of February, it had a backlog of 3,707. At 2022 production levels, it will take Airbus 13 years to clear this backlog, and that doesn’t include the 210 A320neo Family aircraft for which Air India has just signed a Letter of Intent.
The solution to the problem …
