Airbus Boeing, new challenge

The new challenge in commercial air transport between Boeing and Airbus now moves to the new single-aisle aircraft.

Airbus and Boeing were watching each other , to see who would act first to renew their single aisle airlines, the A320 family and 737NG family.

Both manufacturers had the same alternative, upgrading the current family introducing new engine and aerodynamics refinements, or producing a completely new airplane.

The first options could be ready in a few years, meeting the immediate interest of airline, but if the competitor produced a brand new airplane, it would become obsolete in a few years.

In December Airbus is launching its A320NEO (New Engine Options) leaving Boeing to following the same path, renewing the 737NG family (timeframe 2016-2017) or launching a completely new airplane , called NSA (New Small Airplane), possible ready in 2019-2020.

The A320NEO will be ready in 2015, and it could meet the needs of airline that don't want to wait a decade to renew their fleet. The answers came in June at the Paris Air Show, where the A320NEO family got 667 contracts including firm orders and options, for a value of 60,9 bill. Dollars. This pushed Boeing into a corner, as they gathered orders and commitments for less 90 737NGs.

The A320NEO actually is a step in a evolutionary process, which includes the introduction of sharklets in 2012, upgrade of avionics (OANS, ROPS, EFB Class II), improvement to cabin interiors (Space-Flex) ans introducing more improvement derived from the A350 XWB and Next-Gen/SESAR programs.

The A320NEO introduces both sharklets and new engine, offering a 15% reduction fuel consumption. Airlines can choose between the CFM Leap-X, available in October 2015, and PW1100G, both requiring very minor interventions to the airframe, reinforced the wing box, and change the wing structure in the point of docking the engine.