Airbus CEO tamps down talk of A350-2000

Airbus CEO Guillaume Faury has scotched talk of a super-sized Airbus A350-2000 replacing the Airbus A380 as the company's largest commercial jetliner.

With the last A380 rolling out of the hangar in 2021, speculation has swirled that Airbus would seek to stretch the A350-1000 into an even longer -2000 model which could edge a little closer to the superjumbo's average 500-passenger capacity.

Sporting over 400 seats in a two-class layout, a super-stretched A350-2000 would also line up against the Boeing 777-9, which is slated to take wing later this year and begin flying with Lufthansa, Emirates and Cathay Pacific across 2020.

Speaking on the sidelines of the annual Airbus Innovation Days media briefing at Toulouse, Faury told Australian Business Traveller that he didn't see high market demand "for the 500-passenger plane.'

"So we made the first priority to try to find another way to serve this capacity... we are happy with the A350 (-900 and -1000) so we keep focusing on those versions of the plane."

Airbus CEO Guillaume Faury doesn't see strong demand for a larger A350-2000

Faury also said there were no plans to resurrect the axed A350-800 to slot into the medium-range or 'middle of market' segment between conventional single-aisle workhorse jets such as the Airbus A320 and Boeing 737 families, and larger twin-aisle aircraft.

The A350-800 was intended as the smallest member of the A350 family, designed to seat 276 passengers in a typical three-class layout, but plans to build the jet were scrapped in 2014 as airlines opted for the A330neo or A350-900.

"We we have a very fortunate position of the A220, the A320 (and) the A330neo... and then the A350. So the position of those planes, we don't feel the need to overlap (how) they are positioned, at least foreseeable time."

Faury also tipped the launch of an ultra-long range member of the A321neo family, which industry-watchers have dubbed the A321XLR. 

David Flynn travelled to Toulouse as a guest of Airbus.

David Flynn

David Flynn is the Editor-in-Chief of Executive Traveller and a bit of a travel tragic with a weakness for good coffee, shopping and lychee martinis.