The Plane Airbus Won’t Build

This is the Airbus A322. Carrying over 250 passengers to a range of 5,000 nautical miles, this future stretch of the A321 could be an absolute gamechanger for the aviation industry. But this plane of the future might never be built by Airbus – leaving the goal wide open for Boeing to sweep in and reclaim its title.

What is this plane? Why is it so revolutionary, and why is Airbus choosing... not to build it. Let's fine out!

Airbus has been very clever with its A320 range, delivering several different derivatives to meet varying market demand. These versions are bigger or smaller, with differing passenger capacities and ranges depending on their customer airlines use case.

For example, they created the smallest version of the A320, the A318, for regional routes in Europe, and then up to the fantastic A321XLR stretch for long-range single aisle routes. But a question remains if there have been two shrinks of the flexible A320 frame so far, and only one stretch, why can’t there be a second stretch beyond the A321.

This hypothetical new version, which we have called the A322 or the A321 plus plus, would be lengthed by 4 meters and would allow up to 24 more passengers than the original A321. If airlines wanted it, the plane could carry 260 passengers in a strict high density, or a very flexible 220 passengers with two classes – including lie-flat business class seats. We have already seen JetBlue put such a concept in their A321 narrowbody for flights across the Atlantic, and I can't imagine that they and others wouldn't snap up the A322.

As the plane would be heavier but without extra power, a MTOW of only 101tones, its range would be limited initally only to around 3,500 nautical miles, a thousand nautical miles shorter than the XLR.

The range could be further improved with better engine technology and better wings. A 5-7% better engine than the A321neo Engines and a bit higher thrust of 35-37,000 lb. would allow it to push aggressively into the longer-range market. Pratt and Whitney have proposed a 35k PW1135G engine but the timing is still unknown when that will reach the market. Airbus has also been working on new wings, like the one for the A350, for the A320 series.

Plus the deal gets better, if the plane was built on the same production lines of the A320 series, costs could be reduced to around 50% of its twin-asile counter part - like the slower to sell, and might I add older, A330 series. This makes it a no brainer for airlines looking for a bigger capacity aircraty aircraft, but who don't want to commit to the wide-body design, or perhaps can't afford to with their network - like Aegian in Greece who mainly operates to smaller island airports.

We should also mention that the secondary market for narrowbody aircraft, like the A321neo, are hot right now, much higher than the widebody market. You can check out a slightly out of date of how much an aircraft costs right here on the channel.

Lastly, this plane could be built within the next five years.

The Airbus A322neo should be a perfect replacement for the stretched Boeing 757-300, even though that it was not as popular as the -200 back in the old days. If it were to happen, Delta and United would probably be the first top two priorities to order them by replacing its aging Boeing 757-300 fleet before any other airlines even want to order them. It would also be a stop-gap for airlines operating the 767.

Airbus won't build this plane at all.

According to some, and this is entering rumor territory here, Airbus was about to build this A322 when it was also pitching the XLR - two versions of the A321neo. However, remember those engines and new carbon fiber wing that it would need to be able to reach 5,000 nautical miles? They don't exist yet, and therefore the plane would be too limited in range for customers. With the XLR version also entering the market, and these new technologies too unknown, airbus realized that its so-called game-changer A322 wouldn't beat any competition and it would also cannibalise sales from the XLR itself!

Plus, we have to keep in mind that Airbus doesn't actually want to step on Boeing's toes at this point. The A320 series is currently more popular than the 737, and it has more breathing room for future updates to the design - unlike the 737 which we can agree on thanks to the MAX, has reached its hopeful final iteration.

Airbus is waiting for Boeing to design the 797, or the 757 replacement aircraft, and then it would release the A322 at a lower cost and quicker to the market.

Without the 797 existing, or even remotely ready to come to the market, airbus has nothing to gain by building the A322.

At the end of the day, we don't know for sure why Airbus hasn't built this plane - but we do that when Boeing finally decides to bring a new short-haul aircraft to the market, airbus will be ready to pounce with the A322.

[kaiko-san]

Love your videos Nick! It's still sad that you're underrated. Hope you'll become really successful soon!

[SouperSomething]

Your channel is amazing, your videos should be viewed more!

[abuBrachiosaurus]

The biggest things in the universe, the amount of stock footage, animations, and manufacturing clips on the mans computer

[osc_dk]

Yeah, I couldn't believe it, when i saw your subscribercount for the first time a few weeks ago. You're content is amazing, and I don't understand, why there are so few people, who watch it. Keep up the great work!! :D

[Sacto]

I think Airbus does have one worry: loading and unloading passengers on such a long, single-aisle plane. As Boeing discovered, the very length of the 757-300 actually slowed down passenger loading, and that's why the 757-300 sales ended up being pretty limited.

[SkyWKing]

Also in a duopoly there is no need to push your opponent to desperation. It's pretty common in duopolies where the two sides 'agree' to a balance of power to avoid a price war which could harm profit margins of both sides (like a mild form of collusion that's just barely legal). Airbus already has an edge and couldn't take advantage of even more market share due to production limits anyway.

[hs]

Summarized: "Nothing to gain" (for Airbus. They still have to wait for the perfect moment) - excellent analysis! Thanks.

[bdavr]

An A220-500 would make much more sense. :)

[Bullhead_JW]

Appreciate the factual and not rumor driven perspective. Too many channels just spout rumor and hearsay.

[EstorilEm]

This is exactly what I’ve been telling everyone. They’re printing cash with the current lineup and need to focus on building them as fast as possible. The LR (which you didn’t mention btw) and XLR are demanding premium prices but don’t cost significantly more to build.
Fuel and cargo capacity are also huge restrictions - the XLR gets away with it because long-haul routes aren’t typically high-density, but if you did try to cram that many people into an XLR you’d have luggage issues (same with LR) as they’re adding the extra fuel in the cargo sections.

Of course this would be solved with a larger wing, as the 321 is pretty much maxed out. You get into the same issue as the 777-300ER where unusually high power is required for its size due to wing constraints (why the 777X has less power but the same MTOW.)

[ruileao]

This is the only video on youtube (among the many available) that manages explains the strategy of airbus to have the a322 project on hold position!! Well done 👏🏼 👏🏼

[markellsworth]

The trouble, trying to comment in short format, is that the whole MIddle of Market situation is both difficult to solve and difficult to explain. Part of the A322 question sits on the questionable assumption that the market could be perfectly satisfied with a modern take on the Boeing 757. There is, admittedly, a temptation to believe it, even though the most painful problem is the single aisle. You mentioned several of looming issues with regard to stretching the A320 design past it's current A321 limit: the need for new wings to keep the weight down, a new tailplane, and very likely a taller gear to lift a bigger fan farther from the ground. The only thing we have got is a long METAL fuselage, and we don't really want that either. Lack of an efficient 43, 000 pound engine comes down as the insurmountable obstacle. That's what it takes to fly the 757-300.

The market is watching for a clean-sheet carbon-fiber gizmo and Boeing is apt to render an optimal architecture that works in both single and twin-aisle segments, in order sell airplanes for 20 or 30 years. You have to wonder. Safran already has a 35, 000 pound LEAP engine so whatever Boeing is doing with the -5x, it is probably a good guess that they are gunning for the short end of the middle first, something you could fly with that sort of thrust and extend upward and possibly downward in the future as MoM engines come online. Right now, there really is an impossible hole in the middle of the thrust range. Home Runs from Boeing and Rolls-Royce are the nightmare Airbus dreads, a complete do-over coming sooner rather than later. Why even think about a short life airplane that does not say anything about fuel efficiency or sell long-enough to recoup investment? The 757 concept is a has been.

[djpearman]

There is one reason you don't mention - coffin corner. A stretch of the A321 requires a larger wing to be able to fly without overspeed or stall, which is why Boeing used a larger wingspan on the 757. So, if Airbus wanted to produce all A320 variants, including an A322, on the same line, then all aircraft would have a larger wingspan, thus no longer fitting in aerodrome code C and reducing its market appeal.

[neilpickup]

Whether a seriously updated, or clean sheet design A320 series, I think that an A322 is inevitable (eventually).
Whichever route is decided, I feel that it should be optimised around the A321 rather than the A320, with the A319 disappearing to be covered by an expanded A220 range.
New wings should allow taller undercarriage, giving better tail clearance at take-off for the longer variants, as well as allowing better placement of larger and/or more powerful engines - who knows an option of 757 class power could be offered for the reducing number of airports for which the 757 was designed, or to expand the number of airports from which A320 series of aircraft can operate.
However, I fully agree with you on the possibility (probability?) that being in such a good position relative to Boeing they could well (possibly even should) wait until Boeing shows their hand.

[GamingWithBlitzThunder]

"Always wait the enemy to attack first" - SunTzu

[rvw]

Won't be surprised if one day Airbus makes an A323 where they stretch the A320 air frame so much that it competes with A330 in terms of length considering how much they stretched the A330 fuselage for it to become A340-600.

[lostcarpark]

Excellent video.
I suspect the main reason Airbus haven't made the A322 (yet) is because it's main competitor would be the A330. Not much point in making a new plane that will mostly take business away from another model in your line. Now if Boeing announce a new narrowbody with capacity up to 250, that would be the perfect time to pounce with the A322.

[peteregan]

As aircraft have got more efficient, and fuel is a lesser proportion of service cost, it is surprising, that airlines are not giving people more leg room.

[weemasseyman]

Loved the ad warning and nice video and great explanation

[kamilfournie]

Great video ! At 2:57, there is a very nice graph. Is it possible to have it ?