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Gemini said Airbus' A3XX configuration (the project that would eventually become the A380) represents the consortium's ambitious plan to challenge the Boeing 747's dominance. This 550-seat class aircraft features a full-length double passenger deck, providing significantly more floor space than existing widebodies.
New Projects Aim to Make Airbus No 1
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New Projects Aim To Make Airbus Number One
Now in its 25th year, Airbus Industrie is able to offer a complete product range of airliners ranging from 120 to 400 seats. Having fulfilled its original goal of offering a comprehensive product line, Airbus is looking at a number of new projects and derivatives of existing aircraft to help it achieve its recently stated aim of becoming the number one commercial airliner manufacturer in the world.
Airbus’ current product line now includes seven models ranging from the small 120 seat short haul A319 through to the ultra long range quad engined A340. Throughout the product line Airbus has recognised the potential for further developments and new derivatives of the existing aircraft. However perhaps most interesting are Airbus’ plans for a new Very Large Aircraft, dubbed the A3XX, or its participation in the Boeing lead VLCT programme. But as well as commercial aircraft, Airbus is now looking at developing military freighters, either developments of existing aircraft, or even taking on programme management of the troubled Future Large Aircraft (FLA). So despite the fact that Airbus has essentially completed its product line, the future for new projects still looks very interesting.
Given that at this stage a new serious Supersonic Transport SST programme does not look like going ahead in the near future, the most exciting development in commercial aviation on the horizon is the Very Large Aircraft (VLA). Perhaps the best known of the VLA projects is the Boeing lead Very Large Commercial Transport (VLCT). Interestingly Boeing leads a programme whose other main members are Aerospatiale, British Aerospace, Deutsche Aerospace and CASA, the Airbus partner companies. The team has been in place for some years now and is due to make a decision on whether or not to proceed with full scale development in mid 1995. Many have criticised the VLCT programme as simply a way of locking out Airbus from gaining a toehold into what many see will be potentially a highly lucrative market. Airbus in fact very recently joined the VLCT programme as an observer only, where it acts as an adviser to partner companies, and would provide marketing support if such a project did come to fruition.
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