AIRBUS A330 Civil (Passagers & Fret)

Virgin Australia will expand its Airbus A330-based 'Coast to Coast' service to flights between Melbourne and Perth from May 14, as well as adding a daily A330 'morning peak hour' service between Melbourne and Sydney.

The airline says its Melbourne-Perth A330 flights will run twice each day, departing Melbourne at 1pm and 5.30pm for arrival into Perth at 3.15pm and 7.45pm (local Perth time).

Return flights from Perth depart at 8.30am and 5.30pm, arriving in Melbourne at 1.45pm and 10.45pm (local Melbourne time).

The morning shuttle between Melbourne and Sydney will commence on May 15, departing Melbourne at 7.15am and arriving into Sydney at 8.40am. The return service will depart Sydney at 10.00am local Sydney time, arriving Melbourne at 11.35am.

The A330 is the big gun of Virgin Australia's domestic fleet, carrying 278 passengers compared to around 180 on the Boeing 737-800 which currently plies the Melbourne-Perth route (and remains the workhorse of domestic services).

It also has more than three times the number of business class seats as the 737 – and these are more akin to international-grade seats than domestic business class seats due to the greater leg room, deeper recline and more comfortable design, all of which are major factors in making the trans-continental trek.

The flights will be served by two new Airbus A330s with a [Vous devez être inscrit et connecté pour voir ce lien] which drops the much-hated middle seat from the business class cabin, compared to the 2-3-2 of Virgin's first two A330s.

Tickets for both the Melbourne-Perth and Melbourne-Sydney A330 services go on sale today, with introductory fares starting from $99 (one way) from Melbourne to Sydney and $195 (one way) from Melbourne to Perth.

"With our new wide-body services, our premium Business and Economy Class offering and our designer lounge at Melbourne Domestic Airport, we are confident that Virgin Australia will be the airline of choice for the Melbourne market" said Liz Savage, Virgin Australia's Group Executive of Commercial.

Airbus is looking at the potential of adapting its sharklet wing-tips to the A330 following good results from initial flight tests of the modification on the A320.

The manufacturer is also interested in raising the maximum take-off weight of the A330-200 further, to 240t.

Chief operating officer for customers John Leahy, speaking to Flightglobal Pro in Hamburg, said the airframer was "getting better results than we thought" from the sharklets fitted to the A320.

He said initial results indicated improvements which exceeded early estimates of 3.4%.

Leahy said Airbus was "studying" the possibility of putting sharklets on the A330, and added: "Right now we're still several months away from a decision."

The process was complex, he said, because the A330 already has winglets, so the benefit of sharklets would have to be clear, and the airframer needed to analyse wing loading - particularly because it was also trying to raise the A330-200's maximum take-off weight to 240t.

He said the airframer would "ideally" look for a retrofit as well as new-build solution, but pointed out that Airbus could not indicate a production date until it had determined the nature of the sharklet design. "We don't know what 'it' is," said Leahy.

Leahy added that Airbus would also like to raise the take-off weight of its A330-300, to "the same" level of 240t.

While the A330 improvement with sharklets may serve well in reducing fuel burn by around 2% with a manageable amount of reinforcement in the centre and outer wing boxes, .......

Voir Airbus News Letter de novembre, 2008 : A330-200 MTOW UPGRADE STUDY PROGRESSES
Airbus has completed work on a study to further increase the payload / range capability of the fast-selling A330-200 passenger model from its current 6,750nm (12,500km) range at 233,000kg MTOW, to well beyond 7,000nm (13,100km) at a new optional maximum allowable takeoff weight of 238,000kg (524,700lb). No major modifications are involved, and engine ratings will be unchanged. First deliveries are foreseen in 2010, subject to full industrial launch.

SEVRIEN a écrit:Rebonjour.
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Bien entendu, sur le plan sémantique strict, il y a modification de l'aile, par le seul fait d'y intégrer les "sharklets", comme cela est / semblerait être projeté, dans le "design" même de l'aile.

Les "winglets" actuels sont, 'stricto sensu' des adjonctions, même si ces pièces sont bien "blended" ( "harmonieusement incorporées", ... plus ou moins "seamlessly" / 'sans reprise ni coûture').

Mais, selon le sens de la question de Jeannot, il n'y a aucun travail supplémentaire nécessaire à faire sur les caractéristiques fondamentales de l'aile, ou dans ses 'liaisons' avec les pylônes / nacelles / moteurs, ou avec le caisson central.

C'est toute la beauté du projet, ... tout comme dans le passage depuis le MTOW d'origine (233 tonnes) au premier niveau 'augmenté' de 238 tonnes !

C'est la parfaite illustration de 'l'exploration de l'enveloppe', pour l'optimiser, en tirant la quintessance des possibilités de "l'airframe".

Et, en tirant la quintessence des qualités de l'airframe, sans oublier le fait de profiter du supplément 'net' en "lift capability", apporté par les "sharklets" (par rapport aux effets bénéfiques déjà 'acquis' des winglets...), les 'As' des technologies des "airframes", ont pu envisager de hisser (sans risque, ni modification de "l'airframe" & / ou des réglages ou performances des moteurs) le MTOW jusqu'au niveau encore plus élevé de 240 tonnes !

Et, comme écrit dans les messages ci-dessus, .... le moteur RR Trent 772B-EP 'en a encore sous la semelle'.

Certifiable à 75,000 lbs sans apport ni modification (de matériaux, ou de "technical inserts", par exemple), alors que son actuel réglage de poussée maximale demandé par Airbus (et, à ce stade, il n'est pas envisagé de le changer), se limite à 71,200 lbs.

.... as well as providing a shield for Airbus in light of the A350 delays and further delays in the pipeline, which helps Airbus capture part of the demand created by the need of interim capacity and minimise the loss of potential sales to the Boeing 777, a mission creep by an upgraded A330, ...

.... and possibly an A330 re-engining .....

.... whose concept is favoured by AirAsia chief executive Tony Fernandes ....

.... will further decimate the business case of the A350-800,....

.... whose business case is already undermined by the most serious overweight issue and a “few per cent” higher block fuel burn.

While an improved or re-engined A330-200 HGW would not perfectly match the specifications offered by the shrunk model of the baseline A350-900, as the A350-800 has 270 seats whereas the improved A330-200 carries 253 passengers and the sharklets are unlikely to enable the A330-200 HGW to match the A350-800′s range of 8,500 nautical miles (nm), a re-engining move with a 15% more fuel efficient engine such as the GEnx engine being 15% more fuel efficient than a CF6-80C2 engine, could entirely change the picture and effectively kill the A350-800.

SEVRIEN a écrit: ....... Voici un extrait de la documentation commerciale d'Airbus, largement repris par les meilleurs magazines spécialisés dans l'aéronautique, l'aviation et le transport aérien.
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Lien :
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LOWER OPERATING COSTS

Over 70 per cent of the A350 XWB’s weight-efficient airframe is made from advanced materials that combine composites (53 per cent), titanium and advanced aluminium alloys. The innovative carbon fibre reinforced plastic fuselage results in lower fuel burn as well as easier maintenance. With this new fuselage – along with the latest systems and engines, as well as an advanced wing optimised for Mach 0.85 cruise speed – the A350-800 is a step ahead of its direct competitor, benefitting from an eight per cent lower fuel burn, eight per cent lower operating costs, and eight percent lower CO2 emissions. The A350-800 also has a greater range by 900 nautical miles, with 20 additional seats for greater revenue potential.

On peut oublier le "gloom & doom" et la superficialité de BERNSTEIN !

Et d'Aspire Aviation, n'est-ce pas ? !

Etihad Airways, compagnie nationale des Emirats Arabes Unis, a signé un contrat portant sur la commande ferme de deux avions-cargos A330-200F supplémentaires, afin de répondre à ses plans de croissance sur le marché du fret. La compagnie, client de lancement et premier utilisateur de l’A330-200F, a réceptionné son premier appareil à l’occasion du salon aéronautique international de Farnborough, en 2010. Avec cette nouvelle commande, la flotte d’Etihad Crystal Cargo, division fret de la compagnie, totalisera quatre A330-200F.

« Nous sommes déterminés à développer notre présence dans le secteur du fret en faisant de notre plate-forme d’Abu Dhabi le carrefour des lignes commerciales mondiales », a déclaré James Hogan, Président et CEO d’Etihad Airways. « L’A330-200F a été un élément phare dans notre récente réussite sur ce marché. Nous sommes très satisfaits de sa grande régularité technique en exploitation et de sa polyvalence, et c’est pourquoi nous souhaitons vivement développer ce type de flotte », a-t-il ajouté.

« Cette nouvelle commande passée par Etihad met en lumière le rôle essentiel joué par l’A330-200F aux côtés des avions-cargos de plus grande capacité. L’A330-200F permet à Etihad d’optimiser son réseau, en desservant des marchés pour lesquels l’utilisation d’avions-cargos de plus grande capacité ne serait pas rentable », a pour sa part souligné John Leahy, Chief Operating Officer Customers d’Airbus. « Dans un environnement économique exigeant, avec les prix élevés des carburants et une forte pression sur les rendements, l’A330-200F permet d’adapter parfaitement la capacité à la demande, et d’obtenir ainsi des services de transport de fret efficients. »

L’A330-200F, qui vient de fêter une première année d’exploitation efficiente couronnée de succès, avec une régularité technique en exploitation élevée de plus de 99,5 pour cent, peut transporter jusqu’à 70 tonnes de charge marchande, et offre un rayon d’action pouvant aller jusqu’à 4 000 nm. Neuf avions cargos A330-200F sont d’ores et déjà exploités par quatre utilisateurs au Moyen-Orient, en Europe et en Asie.

Les appareils de la famille A330, qui peuvent accueillir 200 à 400 passagers, et existent aussi en version cargo, VIP et avion de ravitaillement/transport militaire, ont enregistré à ce jour près de 1 200 commandes.

Le constructeur aéronautique Airbus (groupe EADS) réfléchit à une amélioration des performances de son biréacteur A330-300, en allongeant son rayon d'action afin de combler dans sa gamme le trou provoqué par l'abandon du long-courrier quadriréacteur A340, affirme lundi La Tribune.
© 2012 AFP

Selon nos informations, l'avionneur songe à augmenter le rayon d'action de l'A330-300 de près de 750 kilomètres d'ici trois ou quatre ans. Plusieurs compagnies aériennes ont été sondées.

Après l'amélioration de l'A320, celle de l'A330. Selon nos informations confirmées par Airbus, l'avionneur planche sur une amélioration des performances de l'A330-300, un biréacteur long-courrier de moyenne capacité (300 sièges en configuration biclasses), mis en service au début des années 90. L'objectif est de pouvoir allonger le rayon d'action de l'A330-300 (la version 200 n'est pas concernée******), .......

....aujourd'hui de 10.100 kilomètres ("Sevrien" : plutôt 10,500 kms., déjà), de 400 miles nautiques (742 kilomètres) pour qu'il puisse s'attaquer à des lignes que seuls des Boeing 777 ou 787 peuvent assurer depuis l'arrêt, l'an dernier, de la production du quadriréacteur A340. Plusieurs compagnies aériennes ont déjà été sondées.

"Airbus cherche clairement occuper la place laissée par l'A340-300", explique un observateur. Cette performance ne passera par une nouvelle motorisation comme dans le cas de l'A320 Neo, mais par l'augmentation de 5 tonnes de la masse maximale au décollage de l'A330-300, qui sera portée à 240 tonnes. De quoi permettre d'embarquer plus de carburant et d'allonger ainsi la durée des vols. Pour y parvenir certains éléments de l'avion doivent être obligatoirement renforcés. Afin de compenser cet excès de poids et ne pas augmenter la masse à vide de l'avion, Airbus va cherche à alléger d'autres parties de l'appareil. Les pièces communes à l'A340 et l'A330 dont l'utilité était réservée aux seuls A340 seront ainsi retirées.

Cet A330-300 amélioré pourrait être mis en service d'ici trois ou quatre ans. "Il va nous permettre de couvrir tous les besoins du marché car il n'y aura pas de trous entre l'A330-300 et l'A350, dont la première des trois versions (l'A350-900 de 314 sièges répartis en trois classes, Ndlr.) est prévue pour 2014", explique-t-on chez Airbus. Les deux autres, l'A350-800 dont la capacité (270 sièges en version triclasses) est la plus proche de l'A330-300, et l'A350-1000 (350 sièges) sont elles prévues en 2016 et 2017. Même l'investissement financier de l'amélioration de l'A330 devrait être limité, l'initiative a néanmoins du mal à convaincre certains analystes financiers.

Condamné à disparaître

"Il n'y a aucun intérêt à modifier l'A330 qui est quasiment amorti et assure très bien commercialement la transition avec l'A350, sauf si ce dernier voit son programme déraper et ne tient pas le calendrier", estime l'un d'eux. Le prolongement de la carrière de l'A330 fait sourire. Il y a quelques années, il était condamné à disparaître rapidement avec le lancement en 2004 du B787 puis de l'A350 en 2007, deux appareils de nouvelle génération. Or, les retards importants subis par ces deux programmes (le B787 a par exemple été livré en septembre avec trois ans et demi de retard), ont fait le jeu de l'A330.

Oui ! Bien sûr ! Rien de nouveau ! La constation s'est faite en 2006, et consolidée à partir du début de 2007 ! L'A330-300 est même devenu le concurrent du B777-300ER, là où on ne l'attendait pas ! Nous en avons écrit largement, ici et ailleurs.

Ce dernier ne s'est jamais aussi bien vendu que depuis ses successeurs ont été lancés. "Nous avons reçu 740 commandes d'A330 depuis le lancement du B787", explique le directeur commercial d'Airbus, John Leahy. Soit les deux tiers des quelque 1.100 exemplaires commandés. L'an dernier, 99 appareils ont encore été achetés.

Pourtant, la résistance de l'A330 ne permet pas à Airbus de tenir la dragée haute à Boeing sur le marché long-courrier

Airbus plans to increase the range of its A330 airliner to challenge Boeing's 777 and 787 jets, La Tribune reported on Monday.

Airbus will revamp the twin-engined plane after consulting several airlines over the plan, the French financial daily said.

By paring mass from key parts and adding 5 metric tons to the overall maximum take-off weight, Airbus aims to increase the A330's range by 7 percent, the paper said.

The move would challenge Boeing on routes that can currently be served only by its 777 and 787 airliners.

(Reuters)

• 
  
  augmenter le MTOW jusqu'à la valeur de 240 tonnes ;
• 
  
  augmenter le rayon d'action de 400 NM (soit de 740 à 750 kms ;
• 
  
  en admettant un rayon d'action actuel de 5,650 NM (10,500 kms environ) à 5,700 NM (10,600 kms environ), faire progresser le rayon d'action à 6,050 NM à 6,100 NM, soit à 11,250 kms environ à 11,350 kms environ.

Il est certain qu'Airbus connaît mieux le dossier que les "£££%%%£££", qui passent leur temps à chercher à nous dire quelle devrait être la stratégie d'Airbus !

Airbus plans to increase the range of its A330 airliner to challenge Boeing's 777 and 787 jets, La Tribune reported on Monday.

Airbus will revamp the twin-engined plane after consulting several airlines over the plan, the French financial daily said.

By paring mass from key parts and adding 5 metric tons to the overall maximum take-off weight, Airbus aims to increase the A330's range by 7 percent, the paper said.

The move would challenge Boeing on routes that can currently be served only by its 777 and 787 airliners.

Sevrien a écrit: Lien et extraits :
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Airbus veut doper les performances de son A330
Fabrice Gliszczynski - 30/01/2012,

... Selon nos informations confirmées par Airbus, l'avionneur planche sur une amélioration des performances de l'A330-300, un biréacteur long-courrier de moyenne capacité (300 sièges en configuration biclasses), mis en service au début des années 90. L'objectif est de pouvoir allonger le rayon d'action de l'A330-300 (la version 200 n'est pas concernée****** voir ci-dessous), .......

Comme j'ai déjà déjà indiqué.

....aujourd'hui de 10.100 kilomètres ("Sevrien" : plutôt 10,500 kms., déjà), de 400 miles nautiques (742 kilomètres) pour qu'il puisse s'attaquer à des lignes que seuls des Boeing 777 ou 787 peuvent assurer depuis l'arrêt, l'an dernier, de la production du quadriréacteur A340. Plusieurs compagnies aériennes ont déjà été sondées.

Oui. Comme déjà indiqué.

"Airbus cherche clairement (à) occuper la place laissée par l'A340-300", explique un observateur. Cette performance ne passera par une nouvelle motorisation comme dans le cas de l'A320 Neo, mais par l'augmentation de 5 tonnes de la masse maximale au décollage de l'A330-300, qui sera portée à 240 tonnes. De quoi permettre d'embarquer plus de carburant et d'allonger ainsi la durée des vols. Pour y parvenir certains éléments de l'avion doivent être obligatoirement renforcés. Afin de compenser cet excès de poids et ne pas augmenter la masse à vide de l'avion, Airbus va cherche à alléger d'autres parties de l'appareil. Les pièces communes à l'A340 et l'A330 dont l'utilité était réservée aux seuls A340 seront ainsi retirées.

C'est une des clarifications soupçonnées / anticipées.

Cet A330-300 amélioré pourrait être mis en service d'ici trois ou quatre ans. "Il va nous permettre de couvrir tous les besoins du marché car il n'y aura pas de trous entre l'A330-300 et l'A350 (Sevrien : XWB), dont la première des trois versions (l'A350-900 de 314 sièges répartis en trois classes, Ndlr.) est prévue pour 2014", explique-t-on chez Airbus. Les deux autres, l'A350-800 dont la capacité (270 sièges en version triclasses) est la plus proche de l'A330-300, et l'A350-1000 (350 sièges) sont elles prévues en 2016 et 2017. Même l'investissement financier de l'amélioration de l'A330 devrait être limité, l'initiative a néanmoins du mal à convaincre certains analystes financiers.

C'est le problème de tous les investissements de 'protection' , ou 'de défense' ou de préservation des parts de marché !

Condamné à disparaître

"Il n'y a aucun intérêt à modifier l'A330 qui est quasiment amorti et assure très bien commercialement la transition avec l'A350 (Sevrien : XWB), sauf si ce dernier voit son programme déraper et ne tient pas le calendrier", estime l'un d'eux. Le prolongement de la carrière de l'A330 fait sourire. Il y a quelques années, il était condamné à disparaître rapidement avec le lancement en 2004 du B787 puis de l'A350 en 2007, deux appareils de nouvelle génération. Or, les retards importants subis par ces deux programmes (le B787 a par exemple été livré en septembre avec trois ans et demi de retard), ont fait le jeu de l'A330.

Oui ! Bien sûr ! Rien de nouveau ! La constation s'est faite en 2006, et consolidée à partir du début de 2007 ! L'A330-300 est même devenu le concurrent du B777-300ER, là où on ne l'attendait pas ! Nous en avons écrit largement, ici et ailleurs.

Ce dernier ne s'est jamais aussi bien vendu que depuis ses successeurs ont été lancés. "Nous avons reçu 740 commandes d'A330 depuis le lancement du B787", explique le directeur commercial d'Airbus, John Leahy. Soit les deux tiers des quelque 1.100 exemplaires commandés. L'an dernier, 99 appareils ont encore été achetés.

Oui.

Pourtant, la résistance de l'A330 ne permet pas à Airbus de tenir la dragée haute à Boeing sur le marché long-courrier

(Voir ci-dessus) NB : l'A330-200 serait traité séparément, si la décision était prise de faire progresser son MTOW depuis 238 tonnes à 240 tonnes . C'est une affaire liée, en quelque sorte, mais distincte.

Voulp a écrit:LHC cherche un remplaçant aux MD-11F

Une nouvelle commande de B 777 F ? Bon, ce serait pour 2014 :

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Lufthansa Cargo (LHC) is considering replacing its fleet of 18 BoeingMD-11Fs and will decide by 2014 which aircraft to go with, LHC chairman and CEO Karl-Ulrich Garnadt told ATW in Seoul, South Korea.

“We know we have to order more [Boeing] 777Fs and there is no other option,” Garnadt said. LHC finalized an order for five 777 freighters valued at $1.35 billion last spring ([Vous devez être inscrit et connecté pour voir ce lien])......

Rien n'est impossible ! Mais le Boeing B777-300ER en conversion en freighter, ou en freighter new-build, ... n'est pas pour un proche avenir !

Ne jamias oublier que le B747-8 est conçu non pas comme un avion de ligne, ... mais comme un "freighter" ! Spécifiquement pour LHA et Cathay Pacific ! Mais, LHA avait une motivation particiulière, qui a incité Boeing à poursuivre la notion d'une version -8I ! Mais LHA a passé une commande ostensiblement en version -8I, mais, en réalité dejà en -8F. Ainsi, de cette façon, Boeing a pu accorder par anticipation à LHA (pour le 'moment venu') la conversion 'gratuite' en freighter !

Mais Boeing se focalise, en ce moment, sur des B777F en terme de "new-build" ! Cela signifie des B777-200F ! Et, compte tenu de la crise, ceci offre une évolution largement suffisante, pendant de nombreuses années à venir, par rapport à la capacité des actuels DC-10 et MD-11 !

Jeannot a écrit:Skymark commande six A330-300s

Japan's Skymark orders six A330-300s

Japan's Skymark Airlines has ordered six Airbus A330-300s that it will introduced into service from 2014.

The aircraft will allow it to expand its domestic and international route network, Skymark said in a statement.

Skymark placed a firm order for six Airbus A380s, its first widebody aircraft. in February 2011 and expects the deliveries to begin in the second half of 2014.

The airline operates a fleet of Boeing 737-800s mostly on domestic routes.

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Airbus intends to decide whether to proceed with enhancements to the A330 during the second half of this year, but is still reticent to provide many details.

The airframer is studying the possibility of raising the maximum take-off weight of the A330-300 by 5t, taking it to 240t and potentially prolonging the life of the type as it develops the A350 XWB.

However, its strategy for achieving the additional capability remains unclear, beyond indications last month that "sharklet" wing-tips could be adapted to the larger twinjet.

Discontinuation of the A340 potentially offers a mechanism to reduce weight, as there would be no need to maintain structural commonalities between the two types. While the A330 would have been structurally different as a "clean sheet" aircraft, Airbus would need to assess whether there is room to make any economical alterations on its production line.

Proposals for a higher-weight A330 revive a plan to create a longer-range version of the -300, discussed by the airframer more than a decade ago. That plan also aimed for a 240t take-off weight, as well as higher-thrust engines.

But the A330-300's take-off weight remained at 233t until last year, when the airframer offered a 2t hike to 235t.

Airbus would want to avoid any major change on the undercarriage. While it had previously considered adopting the A340's distinctive centre gear to reduce pavement loading, such a decision would simply add weight - and complexity.

All three major engine manufacturers offer A330-300 powerplants. There is no immediate evidence that Airbus is considering re-engining the A330, a move which would essentially bring the airframer back to the original A350 - a concept which received a tepid response from the market when first promoted as a Boeing 787 rival.

Airbus is giving little away, although it has indicated further details could be released during the Farnborough air show.

"As part of Airbus's philosophy, we are continuously looking at the market and studying further improvements to our portfolio," said the airframer. "Any decision on whether to proceed will happen in the second half of 2012."

Airbus Launches A330P2F With ST Aerospace

Airbus is bringing to market the A330 passenger to freighter program with ST Aerospace, with the aircraft to enter service in 2016.

Both the A330-300 (to come first) and -200 (due a year later) will be part of the P2F program which also includes EADS’ EFW unit. ST Aerospace will have the development lead, with EFW performing the modification and marketing.

The arrangement has been under work for three years. Airbus turned to ST Aerospace in part because of “the scarcity of our engineering resources,” says Airbus CEO Tom Enders.

The aircraft will receive a European Aviation Safety Agency certification and from the FAA. First flight of the -300P2F is due in 2015, with cerification late the same year.

The -300P2F is being targeted at integrators, with the -200P2F aimed at higher-density freight and long-range performance. The -300P2F is expected to be the larger program.

Today’s agreement marks the authorization to order, with commitments due later this year, says Andreas Sperl, president and CEO of EADS EFW.

Qatar Airways CEO Akbar Al-Baker has already signalled interest in such a program.

The specification is set, but is first being briefed to potential clients.

The aircraft will likely feature a powered cargo loading system, adds Chang Cheow Teck, president of ST Aerospace.

Feedstock for the program is already out there, Enders says.

The -200P2F will not canibalize the A330-200 new build freighter, says John Leahy, Airbus COO for customers.

Airbus has decided to develop a passenger-to-freighter conversion of the A330 twinjet, after signing an agreement which will see Singapore's ST Aerospace lead the engineering development and Germany's EADS EFW carry out conversions.

The memorandum of understanding was signed at the Singapore Airshow between the three partners, which should see the first converted aircraft enter service in 2016.
The longer, but shorter range A330-300P2F will lead the programme, with the shorter, longer range -200P2F due to follow a year later.

Airbus said that EFW will subsequently lead the overall programme during the industrial phase and undertake "most of the conversions" at its Dresden facility. The deal will see EFW become the European centre for ST Aerospace's maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) services.

EADS-EFW chief executive Andreas Sperl declined to reveal the list price for the aircraft, but said the receipt of authority to offer enables "discussions to begin with potential launch customers".

Although Qatar Airways has been extremely vocal in its calls for Airbus to launch the A330P2F programme, Sperl declined to comment on whether the airline was a prime target to be launch customer.

He said that once the programme is up and running, Dresden would be capable of converting 15-18 A330s a year.

The converted aircraft will be offered alongside the new-build A330-200F, which has been slow to find its market niche with orders for just 69 aircraft so far.

"We see a market for 400 new-build aircraft and 900 conversions over the next 20 years," said Airbus president and chief executive Tom Enders. "We forecast that almost all the demand for cargo aircraft comes in this mid-size category."

The airframer's chief operating officer for customers, John Leahy, dismissed suggestions that the introduction of the P2F will hurt the prospects for the new-build freighter.

"I don't see that as an issue, I think it's complementary," he said. "With the A300-600F, the conversion helped us with new-build sales."

Although the P2F version will have the same large forward cargo door as the A330-200F, it will tackle the A330's nose-down angle on the ground in a different way, said Sperl.

The -200F has a repositioned nosegear leg accommodated in an external blister fairing to raise the nose and level the cabin floor. The P2F version will retain the passenger aircraft's geometry and incorporate a powered cargo loading system to enable pallets to be moved "uphill" on the main cargo deck.

Puis, cela permet aux &^&^&^&^ de délirer !

Airbus mulls re-engined A330 along with sharklets

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When European plane-maker Airbus gave indication in late January that it was considering an update to its Airbus A330-300 aircraft by increasing its maximum take-off weight (MTOW) amongst other enhancements, it represented the first step in a process designed to rejuvenate Airbus’ A330 line of aircraft and propagate its production into the next decade.

For the medium term, Airbus is mulling a number of improvements to the larger Airbus A330-300 variant, which seats 335 passengers in a typical 2-class configuration. The aircraft would see an MTOW increase of 5 tonnes to 240 tonnes, which would increase the aircraft’s range by 400 nautical miles (nm). Blended wingtips, or as Airbus calls them, sharklets, are also being studied for the Airbus A330-300, which currently has more diminished wingtip fences. Sharklets would reduce the fuel burn of new-build A330-300s by an additional 1%-2%, though Airbus chief operating officer (COO) customers John Leahy told [Vous devez être inscrit et connecté pour voir ce lien] that the sharklet testing on Airbus A320 aircraft was yielding fuel burn reduction of greater than the design figure of 3.4%, which would further increase the fuel savings.

However, successful implementation of sharklet technology will first require that Airbus settle its legal dispute with famed Seattle-based aviation technology firm Aviation Partners International (API). API has had a patent on blended winglet devices since 1993-94, which is due to expire within a year and a half, and its winglets have been implemented successfully on aircraft from numerous aircraft manufacturers, including Boeing’s 737NG (Next-Generation) aircraft family, where they yielded a 4%-6% decrease in block fuel burn. According to API, Airbus had entered into discussions to use a modified version of its blended winglets on the Airbus A320 family of aircraft. However, API claims that despite satisfactory performance by its winglets, Airbus instead chose to develop its own winglet in-house and even filed for a patent for the “sharklet” as a device distinct from API’s winglet. Thus API thinks that Airbus must pay it royalties for the usage of the winglet device for the 10-12 months overlap of sharklet-equipped A320s before the expiration of API’s patent, or at the very least that Airbus be precluded from patenting a device that shares numerous structural and functional similarities with API’s product.

Future A330s will also benefit from the elimination of the Airbus A340 production. The programme, which was officially cancelled in November 2011, had been “running on fumes” since the middle of the decade as orders dried up in light of skyrocketing fuel prices. Because of the A340’s increased payload, heavier parts were necessitated on the A330 family as well in order to maintain commonality between the sister aircraft in parts and thereby reducing the overall production costs. But with future orders for the A330 now likely to be paired with Airbus’ A350 XWBs, Airbus can now instead implement design changes on existing parts that would reduce weight incrementally by adjusting for the lower weight requirement. Airbus has yet to make up its mind on such alterations to its production lines, however Aspire Aviation believes that they could conservatively yield at least 0.5 tonnes worth of weight reductions, thus improving fuel burn accordingly.

The combination of all of these effects would make the A330-300 even more efficient and optimised for sub-4500 nm (nautical mile) flights, which would allow Airbus to continue producing the US$222.5 million aircraft. Airbus won 64 firm orders for the A330-300 in 2011, and at the end of January 2012, the firm backlog for the aircraft was 176 examples, with 362 for the A330 programme as a whole. Allowing the increase in production rate of A330s to 9 units per month announced in 2010, Airbus is essentially sold out of production slots for the A330 until 2016. However, with Boeing being sold out of 787 slots until 2018 or beyond, Airbus will essentially be able to offer customers 2 years worth of aircraft with which to replace the ageing Boeing 777-200 family aircraft, or even the relatively underpowered and underweight early-built A330-300s. Between the A330-200F freighter and further sales of an enhanced A330-300, Airbus would be able to extend the A330 programme by 2 years, providing critical cash flow at a time when Airbus is likely to be finalising and enhancing its A350-1000 and A350-800 variants, which have been met with some criticism from the markets over the past two years. A report in the French newspaper La Tribune claimed that Airbus was planning to have the aforementioned improvements onto the market by around 2014. There there is indeed a value proposition for Airbus to enhance its A330-300 in the medium term, as the nearest Boeing competing products, whether in the forms of the Boeing 787-9 or Boeing 787-10X, will still be limited by availability notwithstanding the aircraft’s production ramp-up to 10 airplanes per month by the end of 2013.

“As part of Airbus’s philosophy, we are continuously looking at the market and studying further improvements to our portfolio. Any decision on whether to proceed will happen in the second half of 2012,” Airbus said in a statement quoted by flightglobal.

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Airbus considering re-engining the A330 to target 787-9 & 787-10
However, Airbus may go further in enhancing its A330-300 line of aircraft than the installation of the sharklets to the aircraft. According to Aspire Aviation‘s sources at the European airframer, Airbus is considering launching an Airbus A330 re-engining programme, tentatively dubbed an A330neo (new engine option), in order to compete with Boeing’s planned 787-10X as well as to provide a buffer against further Airbus A350 delays, particularly delays on the smallest A350-800 variant. Aspire Aviation has learned that as part of the early exploratory phase of the A330neo concept, top Airbus officials have held a private dinner with Singapore Airlines (SIA) officials at the Singapore Air Show during which the Singaporean flag carrier’s opinion on an upgraded or even a re-engined A330 was sought.

The proposed A330neo will seat around 290 passengers in a typical 3-class configuration, about the same size as the current generation A330-300s. The re-engined aircraft would retain the planned increase to a 240 tonnes maximum take-off weight (MTOW), in addition to the installation of sharklets which would reduce 2%-3% in the aircraft’s block fuel burn. Airbus would then install the latest generation of widebody engines such as the General Electric (GE) GEnx engine used on the Boeing 787 aircraft which would provide a 12%-13% reduction in engine specific fuel consumption (SFC). Nevertheless the improved fuel efficiency would be offset by a 3%-4% penalty in block fuel burn due to increased weight and drag. Thus Airbus would be able to achieve at least a 9%-10% reduction in block fuel burn on A330neos versus current generation A330-300s. The range of the A330neo would also be up-gauged to 7,000 nm (nautical miles), an ambitious target considering the range of the proposed 323-seat 787-10X is targeted at around 6,800 nm.

Meanwhile, the Boeing 787-10X is expected to provide a 20% reduction in block fuel burn versus the current generation Airbus A330-300, primarily owing to a 12%-15% reduction in the aircraft’s block fuel burn contributed by improved 787 engines, of which the Rolls-Royce Trent 1000 Package A and early-built General Electric (GE) GEnx-1B engines missed their original engine specific fuel consumption (SFC) targets by 4.3% and 2.4%, respectively. The Package B Rolls-Royce Trent 1000 engine has shaved 2.3% from the engine specific fuel consumption shortfall and the 74,000 lbs (330 kN) Package C engine will bring the engine’s specific fuel consumption (SFC) to ”just over 1% off spec[ification]“, according to Rolls-Royce Trent 1000 programme director Simon Carlisle.

“We are looking at putting some more technology in. We are doing some stuff with the low-pressure turbine (LPT) case cooling and changing some of the aerodynamics in the compressor. Not huge change packages, but some. The thing that is very attractive to us is the [XWB's] high- and intermediate-pressure ‘rising line’ compressors. It’s a good technology and it’s easily transferable into the Trent 1000. Similarly, we’ve got a whole load of demonstrator programmes running that are churning out technologies that we are looking at,” Charlisle was quoted saying in a flightglobal [Vous devez être inscrit et connecté pour voir ce lien].

Likewise, performance improvement packages PIP1 and PIP2 on the GEnx-1B engine will deliver a combined engine SFC reduction of 2.9% with PIP1 contributing a 1.4% improvement while PIP2 contributing the remainder, thus making the General Electric engine meeting or being slightly better than its original specification (“[Vous devez être inscrit et connecté pour voir ce lien]“, 11th Jan, 12).

Another 5-7% of the 787-10X’s 20% lower block fuel burn comes from the roughly 5% lower weight per passenger from the use of carbon fibre reinforced polymer (CFRP) and improved aerodynamics such as the supercritical composite wing with a better-than-anticipated lift-to-drag (L/D) ratio, along with significant weight reductions incorporated from the 787-9. Industry sources the redesigned 787-9 parts are much lighter than those designed for the 787-8 such as Spirit AeroSystems’ one-piece cockpit window frame that will eliminate around 200 fasteners and reduce the cockpit structure’s weight by 100 lbs, according to a flightglobal [Vous devez être inscrit et connecté pour voir ce lien].

According to Aspire Aviation‘s multiple sources at the Chicago-based airframer, the maximum take-off weight (MTOW) of the 787-10X will be at 250,837 kilogrammes (553,000 lbs), the same as Boeing 787-9′s figure whose entry into service (EIS) is in the first-quarter of 2014 and will have a range of 8,050 nm carrying 280 passengers in a typical 3-class configuration. The higher MTOW of the 787-10X would enable the double-stretched variant to carry a larger structural payload on shorter flights with the -10X’s range being targeted at 6,750 nm with Rolls-Royce Trent 1000 engines or 6,700 nm with General Electric GEnx engines, despite the aircraft would be 18 feet longer than the 787-9 with 4 additional frames in the aft section and 5 additional frames in the forward section. The maximum landing weight (MLW) of the 787-10X is 201,849 kg (445,000 lbs) with a maximum zero fuel weight (MZFW) of 192,777 kg (425,000 lbs), whereas the 787-9’s MLW and MZFW are 425,000 lbs and 400,000 lbs, respectively.

The schedule on the 787-10X remains fluid at press time, but a recent [url=http://www.aviationweek.com/aw/generic/story_channel.jsp?channel=comm&id=news/avd/2012/02/23/02.xml&headline=Boeing Decision On 787-10 Likely This Year]report[/url] from AviationWeek quoted Boeing Commercial Airplanes (BCA) chief executive Jim Albaugh as saying, “We will do the 787-10 by all likelihood. We’re now working through design concepts. Assuming the customer interest is there, later this year [a decision will be made], and we will have something to offer toward the end of the year.” As the 787-10X will accommodate 323 passengers in a typical 3-class configuration with a 20% fuel burn saving over the A330-300, “the economics are very good.”

With an entry into service (EIS) date of around 2016 or so, an A330neo would be the most efficient airplane in its class on the market until 2018 or 2019 when the more fuel efficient 787-10X enters into service. However, Aspire Aviation thinks that such a timeline is ambitious, as there are significant changes that must be made on an A330neo. Airbus required 5 years from the launch of the A320neo in December 2010 to its EIS in October 2015, and Aspire Aviation‘s sources at the European airframer have cautioned that an A330neo re-engining programme would be more complex than the one on the A320neo programme since the larger engine will erode the ground clearance of the A330 whose Rolls-Royce Trent 700 has a minimum [Vous devez être inscrit et connecté pour voir ce lien] of 0.72 metres (2.36 feet, 28.3 inches) at maximum ramp weight with a 37.5% centre of gravity (CG). The Rolls-Royce Trent 700 has a 2.47 m (97.4 in) fan diameter whereas the Trent 1000 and the Trent XWB have fan diameters of 112 in and 118 in, respectively. A growth of nearly 15 inches in fan diameter in Rolls-Royce’s engine would leave a ground clearance of only 13.7 inches. Therefore fitting the Rolls-Royce Trent 1000 engine onto the A330 platform would necessitate a redesign of the engine pylon, or even lengthening the A330′s nose and main landing gear, which would further shift the centre of gravity (CG) of the A330 forward and be much more challenging than a simple re-engining.

A noteworthy point is, the General Electric CF6-80E1 engine used on the A330 has an engine fan diameter of 96 inches, whereas the GEnx-1B64 engine has a fan diameter of 111 inches, yet the CF6-80E1 engine has a 0.79 m (2.59 ft, 31.1 in) minimum ground clearance at maximum ramp weight with a 37.5% centre of gravity (CG) and hence fitting the GEnx-1B64 engine onto the A330 may prove to be less complicated and challenging than fitting Rolls-Royce’s next-generation engine offerings onto the A330.

In addition, optimising a new engine for the A330neo requires man-hours and significant expenditure on the part of engine makers as well. Current A330-300 engine supplier Pratt & Whitney (P&W) already has different variants of its geared turbofan (GTF) engines in development for the MC-21, A320neo, Bombardier C-Series, and Mitsubishi Heavy Industries’ (MHI) Mitsubishi Regional Jet (MRJ), as well as starting work on the 100,000 lbs request for proposal (RFP) for Boeing’s new 777X in March, according to Aspire Aviation‘s sources at the East Hartford, Connecticut-based engine-maker, meaning its plate is essentially full (“[Vous devez être inscrit et connecté pour voir ce lien]“, 9th Feb, 12). Some have speculated that Pratt could develop an enlarged variation on its GTF for widebodies earlier, but with A320neo and other narrowbody engine developments stretching out until October 2015, it is highly unlikely that such an engine could enter into service on the A330neo. It is therefore more likely that the engines powering an A330neo would come from the two 787 engine suppliers, General Electric and Rolls-Royce. While both the General Electric GEnx-1B and the Rolls-Royce Trent 1000 offering enough thrust to replace the General Electric CF6-80E1, Pratt & Whitney PW4168, and Rolls-Royce Trent 700, neither engine is currently optimised for an A330, both of which are developed for the 787 Dreamliner programme. GE and Rolls-Royce would both have to divert engineering resources from those working on the 787-9 and -10X engines, and the Trent XWB engine for Rolls-Royce, as well as from their current efforts to bring the initial 787-8 engines up to specifications, to work on the A330neo, and the additional costs and risks involved in such a move would be significant. Therefore Aspire Aviation thinks that an entry into service (EIS) date in 2017 would be more realistic.

Furthermore, Airbus’ target of increasing the range of the A330-300 to 7,000 nautical miles (nm) is deemed ambitious by Aspire Aviation as well, as it would necessitate further improvements beyond a new engine and the installation of sharklets. The combined advantage of the next-generation engine, sharklets, and lighter A330 parts would serve to naturally increase the A330-300s range to around 6,300 nautical miles from 5,850 nm with 295 passengers in a 3-class configuration. But in order for Airbus to achieve the more than 1,000 nm increase in its range, it would have to further raise maximum take-off weight (MTOW) by adding another central fuel tank, reducing fuel burn by slashing the aircraft’s weight significantly, or a combination of the two. These options would add to the aircraft’s operating empty weight (OEW), which would negatively impact the aircraft’s block fuel burn. Nonetheless, these options would enable Airbus to further close the gap with the 787 programme by adding lighter parts and taking advantage of Alcoa’s third-generation lightweight aluminium-lithium (Al-Li) alloy technology, which would reduce weight and skin friction drag, and is being considered for Boeing’s 777X. However, such an action would add significant complexity and strain on Airbus’ scarce engineering resources, right at a time when it will be ramping up to produce its first A350-900s and get the A320neo to the market on time. Aspire Aviation feels that the confluence of these factors would force Airbus to delay the A330neo by a further 1-2 years should the development on the A350 XWB programme severely strain Airbus’ engineering resources, thereby pushing its timeline of A330neo’s service entry on par or marginally ahead of the 787-10X, and decimating its business case significantly.

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Business case of A330neo contingent upon A350-800 development
The Airbus A330neo is being fuelled in part by industry speculation on the performance and entry into service (EIS) which is currently planned in mid-2016 of the A350-800, which is in the same size class as the A330-300 but has a lighter airframe, more range, and a lower design fuel burn than either the A330-300 or the A330neo. However, the A350-800 is currently the most overweight A350 variant, at around 6 tonnes overweight, according to Aspire Aviation‘s sources, whereas the A350-900 is 3-4 tonnes overweight, and the A350-1000 at around 5 tonnes overweight. Additionally, the A350-800, since it is a shrink of the A350-900 instead of being an optimised platform similar to the -900 and the -1000, with the latter due to the thrust increase by Rolls-Royce on the Trent XWB, has already had its block fuel burn increased by “a few per cent.” Because of these issues, numerous figures in the industry have speculated that the A350-800 may be delayed further, as its 2016 service entry date is heavily dependent on the flight testing of -900 example and the incorporation of lessons learned on the -900 onto the -800, particularly in weight reduction. The further the -800 is delayed, the better chance it has at meeting its targeted specification. Thus the A330neo’s business case exists primarily due to the high possibility for A350-800 delays, as an A350-800 that had its entry into service (EIS) in 2016 would likely cannibalise most, if not all A330neo sales.

Based on Aspire Aviation’s economic analysis, an A330neo would close the gap with the Boeing 787-9, at 295 seats for the A330 and 280 for the 787-9, substantially on routes under 5000 nautical miles (nm). On such routes, the 787-9’s advantage in direct operating costs (DOC = cash operating costs cost of capital) per seat, assuming limited performance improvement packages (PIPs), would be slashed to 3%-6% over that range, owing primarily to lower maintenance costs and marginally lower fuel burn for the 787-9. When one factors in the benefits of commonality with current A330-300s, better availability, and potentially attractive pricing from Airbus, it is not hard to envision a scenario under which the A330neo wins a few head-to-head orders versus the 787-9. Even if Boeing is able to restore the 787-9’s superiority with a series of PIPs, further weight reduction, and product enhancements, the market is large enough for Airbus to still sell airplanes, as the usage of widebodies on short and medium haul sectors is projected to increase as the cost of fuel does, as well as due to continued market maturation in Asia and potential economic booms in Africa and Latin America. Meanwhile, Aspire Aviation’s tentative economic analysis continues to show a large advantage for the 787-10X versus the A330neo in per seat cash operating costs (COC) as well as per seat DOC, as trip costs still come out lower for the 787-10X due to 7%-8% lower fuel burn, a much lighter airframe, and significantly lower projected maintenance costs. But with 787-10X availability likely to be constrained by high demand for the entire 787 family, Airbus would have the opportunity to carve out a small market niche against the 787-10X. However, the 787-10X is still likely to seize the A330-300’s dominant market leadership in medium-haul widebodies back for Boeing.

Meanwhile, Airbus is apparently taking a more cautious approach with a potential re-engining of the smaller A330-200, which would add further complexity to the overall programme. However, an Aspire Aviation study conducted earlier this year on the relative costs of the A330-200 HGW (high gross weight) and the 787-8 indicated that the A330-200 HGW was within “striking distance” of the early-built 787-8, potentially yielding that an A330-200neo would achieve near-cost parity with the 787-8 on a per-seat basis due to its greater seating capacity. Separately, Aspire Aviation has learned that later-built Boeing 787-8 example would be 6% more fuel efficient than the early-build ones, according to a Boeing internal document seen by Aspire Aviation‘s sources.

In conclusion, despite the challenges, there is a business case for a re-engined A330-300 should the A350-800 be further delayed. Boeing’s 787 family has taken the lead in these segments and Airbus A350-800 has received a customer response that indicates its unsuitability for short and medium-haul markets. Meanwhile, the A330-300 is a popular seller, with superb operating economics and a growing customer base. While an A330neo would likely never reach the operating costs of the 787-9 or -10X, it would be potentially attractive to current A330-300 customers, especially because of higher availability. Airbus must address a number of issues with the A330neo, including engines and potential range increases. And while the A330neo is unlikely to preclude Boeing from launching the 787-10X as the A320neo was reputed to do with Boeing’s new small airplane (NSA), it will allow Airbus to at least maintain a foothold in a lucrative market segment. Many observers might make the comment that the A330neo sounds suspiciously like the first iteration of the Airbus A350, which was killed off by Airbus in favour of the A350 XWB. But there was nothing wrong with the A350’s first configuration, and it was a viable airplane. 200-250 orders may have seemed tepid in comparison to the skyrocketing 787 order total, but it is a perfectly reasonable order base with which to start an airplane programme, especially a relatively low risk re-engining one. Therefore, one can expect to see more similarities with the initial A350 as the A330neo continues to be defined, and Airbus mulls the launch of a product that would continue the highly successful A330 programme.

Airbus Boosts A330 Output...ETS Permitting
Airbus will bring A330 production to 11 aircraft per month, the latest in a series of widebody and narrowbody production increases for the aircraft maker.

The new output level should be reached in the second quarter of 2014. However, Airbus-parent EADS warns the decision could be affected by Europe's inclusion of airlines in its emissions trading scheme. The A330 rampup will come "provided the Emissions Trading Scheme issue does not harm aircraft orders," the company warns. Airbus [url=http://www.aviationweek.com/aw/generic/story_generic.jsp?channel=aviationdaily&id=news/avd/2011/02/04/13.xml&headline=Airbus Boosts A330 Output To 10 Aircraft Per Month]was on a pace to building ten aircraft next year[/url] and currently is at a monthly rate of nine A330s.

EADS is particularly concerned over A330 deliveries to China; Beijing has been vocally opposed to the inclusion of its airlines in the ETS and is blocking widebody deals to make its point. The company sees 35 A330s at risk, 25 on which parts production has already begun and which are to be delivered through 2014, with ten more on which no work has started, yet.

Meanwhile, the aircraft maker continues to work on A330 upgrades. EADS CEO Louis Gallois notes "we don't consider the A330 an airplane of the past." Enhanced wing lift devices and other improvements are being looked at. As yet, though, EADS is not looking at a reengining, he says, although there are some urging such a move.

Airbus also warns that on the A350 the "schedule is tightening as Airbus progresses towards its next milestones, particularly entry-in-FAL" the final assembly process. [/font]For now, however, it the company is sticking with the schedule, revised last year, of having the aircraft enter service in the first half of 2014. [size=9][font=arial]EADS CEO Louis Gallois says that as the company works on its program execution, the A350 "represents the biggest risk."

The move comes as Airbus-parent EADS reports full-year financing results, with earnings before interest and taxes at €1.8 billion, beating expectations.

Airbus is not looking to extend its potential A330 improvement measures to new engines, but is keen to broaden the twinjet's appeal and lengthen its production life ahead of A350 development.

The airframer is pondering sharklet wingtips for the A330, a modification tested on the A320 before Airbus chose to consolidate fuel-burn improvement by re-engining it as the A320neo.

"The A330 has a future and we want to keep it at the cutting edge of technology and performance," says EADS chief executive Louis Gallois. "So Airbus is encouraged to look at possible improvements with a good business case."

But Gallois also says that "for the time being" Airbus is "not thinking of new engines" on the A330. Developing a re-engined A330neo would effectively recreate a configuration rejected in favour of the current A350 family, and would encroach on the 250-seat market of the A350-800.