Second coming for A330-300?

Airbus may develop a shorter range A330 that will operate in parallel with its new A350.

by CHIEF CORRESPONDENT, TOM BALLANTYNE  

March 1st 2014

Print Friendly

Airbus workhorse, the A330-300, is not set to fade away despite the arrival of the A350 XWB with launch customer, Qatar Airways, in the second half of this year. Read More »

Airbus executive vice president and head of programs, Tom Williams, told Orient Aviation in South Korea last month, that a shorter range version of the A330-300 would be ideal for airlines in India and China, especially when air traffic management and airport infrastructure falls short of passenger demand.

Airbus is considering a regional A330-300 for large short haul markets, said Tom Williams, Airbus executive vice president and head of programs

“We are very excited about having a regional version of the A330 for those airlines operating in Asia, which don’t need the long range and don’t plan to fly trans-Pacific. An A330 regional can be a very effective aircraft,” Williams said.

Speaking in Busan, where he took official delivery of the 1000th Sharklet – Airbus’s wingtip extension that lifts efficiency on the A320 family of jets – from sole supplier, Korean Air Aerospace Division (KAL-ASD), Williams dispelled any doubts that the future of the A330 is limited once the A350 goes into service with launch customer, Qatar Airways, later this year.

“We think there is an opportunity to keep the A330 flying alongside the A350 for quite a long time. We don’t see it as the A350 comes in and A330 suddenly disappears. We can keep building A330s certainly through this decade,” he said.

Airbus is offering a version of its A330-300 with a higher maximum take-off weight – the first will be delivered to Delta Airlines in May next year – and hopes planned improvements will extend the A330-300’s range to 6,100 nautical miles next year so it can service Southeast Asian customers’ westbound routes to Europe.

Operators of the -300 will have the option of activating the centre wing fuel tank, a standard feature on the longer-range -200 that has remained unused on the larger aircraft, increasing the  -300’s fuel capacity from 97,500 litres to more than 139,000 litres.

Williams said the A350 and Boeing’s B787 will change the nature of the market in long-range aircraft. “But we still think there is a very good market for the A330. The economics of the A330, if you don’t need the range of an A350 or B787, are [still] pretty convincing. Its an aircraft you can buy for significantly less than you will pay for an A350 or B787,” he said.

“It would be very effective in India where there are limitations in air traffic control and infrastructure facilities. A plane like the A330 can accrue a big operating advantage for an airline when you are trying to absorb a lot of expansion of demand without getting more slots and runways.”

Williams added that in a big year for Airbus, with the A350 entering service and the first flight, the A350-100 program in development, the first A320neo due for flying at year end and the possibility of a re-engined A330neo, there was “no great rush” on A330 development, but that it would “be good if we can get some clarity this year”.

At Busan, where Korean Air Aerospace makes parts for both Airbus and Boeing, Korean Air Group executive vice president and chief marketing officer, Walter Cho, said as well as celebrating the delivery of the 1000th Sharklet, the event marked 25 years of industrial partnership between KAL-ASD and Airbus. “We will look forward to developing this mutually beneficial cooperation and to KAL-ASD increasing its contribution to Airbus aircraft programmes as a Tier 1 partner.”

KAL-ASD was awarded the sole supplier contract for the Sharklets in 2010 and began production in July, 2012. Last year, the company achieved the capability to produce 50 shipsets (one shipset contains two sharklets) a month on the Busan assembly line. In addition to Sharklets, KAL-ASD supplies Airbus with fuselage skin panels and floor assemblies for the A330 and all-composite cargo doors for the new A350 XWB.

Williams said South Korea was a key partner for Airbus’ collaboration in the region, which was an overall internationalization policy that will extend Airbus’ global reach.

“Asia will be especially important in this. Indeed, our sourcing volume in Asia, including direct and indirect suppliers, has tripled in the last five years, exceeding $3 billion in 2013. This will grow. “Our most conservative projection provides expansion of up to 30% by 2020,” Williams said.