After the reveal of its
impressive A380 aircraft, an exciting new era
dawned for Airbus. In addition to expanding
its already stellar line-up, the group would continue to broaden
its worldwide customer base and seek out innovative ways
to remain a market leader. So, Boeing had better watch out! This is the evolution
of Airbus part 3! As well as building aircraft
for passenger travel, Airbus and its constituent companies have played huge roles
in space exploration and in producing vehicles
for the military. In May 2003, Airbus began making plans for an aircraft
that would replace older military planes such as the Transall C-160 and the Lockheed C-130 Hercules. What they came up with was a four-engine
turboprop military transport aircraft which they named the
Airbus A400M Atlas. The aircraft was nearly canceled due to program delays
and cost overruns. In early 2009 a German newspaper reported that
the A400M was overweight by 12 tons, which meant that it couldn't properly
perform one of its key tasks. The aircraft was meant
to be able to lift 32 tons, allowing it to transport
infantry fighting vehicles. At a carrying capacity of 29 tons, the A400M would not be
able to function as intended, which was disastrous
for the development. Eventually, an audit performed
by PricewaterhouseCoopers concluded that the project would
run a massive 11.2 billion euros or 11.9 billion dollars over budget. This nearly led to the cancellation
of the entire project. Luckily the customer nations
still had faith in the project and decided to continue supporting
Airbus in this endeavor. Eventually allowing this behemoth
of an aircraft to be completed. It eventually took to the
skies in December 2009 and, in addition to its
transport capabilities, was able to perform aerial refueling and medical evacuations. The A400M’s 4-meter-wide,
17.7-meter-long cargo compartment could accommodate up to
116 fully equipped troops. It could carry up to
37,000 kg or 81,600 lb. With a total maximum take-off
weight of 141,000 kg. With the ability to land
on rough terrains such as grass or sand strips, to air-drop troops or pallets, and to deliver large payloads with better
range, speed, and lift performance than previous-generation airlifters, the A400M was a hit
with many countries. The first of 111 aircraft produced
so far was delivered to the French Air Force in 2013, with the Germans, British, and Spanish receiving orders in
the double digits soon after. A total of 10 different
countries have received or are currently awaiting
delivery of the A400M, with the plane already living up
to its “Atlas” nickname by seeing heavy action in Afghanistan, the Central African Republic, Mali, the Caribbean, and in the Middle East. Besides their most recent
military adventure, Airbus wanted to continue competing
in the passenger aircraft market. In 2004 a new design was
proposed for the A350. This new aircraft would be made to
compete with their biggest competitor, the Boeing 787 Dreamliner. Originally, it was designed
to offer an extended range while retaining the same 222-inch fuselage
cross-section used in the A330 and A340. However, with customers seeking
a more radical evolution, it was decided that the A350
would be redesigned, and the fuselage's cross-section
was expanded to 232 inches. This extra-wide body version had its
industrial launch on December 1st, 2006, with the A350 XWB positioned to be the newest medium-capacity
long-range aircraft. Rolls-Royce would also supply a new version of the Trent
engine specifically for this aircraft, even going so far as to name
it the Trent XWB. Orders for the A350
XWB began to come in, first from Finnair then from airlines in Europe, the Middle East, Africa, the Asia-Pacific, and North and South America. It was not until June 2013
that the A350 made its first flight. The main test pilot was very excited
about the plane, saying that “it just seemed really happy in the air, all the things we were testing
had no major issues at all.” Notably, it was the first Airbus plane made largely of carbon
filter reinforced polymers. Its widened fuselage allowed
9 passengers per row, up from seven seen in
the A330 and the A340. In total, three variants were built. The A350-900 could carry
300 to 350 passengers, up to a range of 9,320 miles
or 15,000 kilometers, with a 283-ton maximum take-off weight. Airbus also made an ultra-long-range
version of the A350-900, fittingly called the A350-900ULR. This aircraft can fly for 19 hours with a range of 11,200 miles or 18,000 kilometers, making it the longest-range
airliner in the world. Currently, the only operator
is Singapore airlines; they use the 7 aircraft
that they have in service to fly nonstop between Singapore
and the U.S. west coast. This aircraft also holds the
title for longest flight landed, flying for nearly 18 hours covering a distance of
10,290 miles or 16,561 kilometers. The longer A350-1000 accommodates
350 to 410 passengers and has a maximum range of
10,000 miles or 16,100 km and a 319-ton maximum
take-off weight. In 2007 planes were mentioned to create a freighter version of the A350-900, called the A350F. This aircraft was to be slightly
longer than the A350-900, with a range of 5,754 miles. The final version would, however,
be based on the A350-1000. Its 109-ton payload is slightly
higher than the 103.7-ton payload of the Boeing 777F. At the Dubai air show in 2021, the launch customer would be
the ‘Air Lease Corporation’ with an order for 7 freighters. However, Singapore Airlines
will be the first to use the aircraft. So far, 31 A350F have been ordered with the first to be delivered in 2025. Airbus had also designed a
shorter version of the A350, dubbed the A350-800. The company wanted to offer
as many options as possible to suit their customers’ needs. The A350-800 did not have
enough demand, however, so the project was canceled. In total, 919 A350 aircraft have been
ordered so far by 52 customers. Singapore Airlines is the
biggest out of 39 operators that have received the 509
aircraft currently delivered. Fun Fact: Between 2006 and 2009, Airbus
underwent a major revamp as the airline industry struggled to
deal with a weakened U.S. dollar. Many customers began scaling
back their operations, so to deal with this, Airbus introduced its new
“Power8” restructuring plan. The program developed a strategy
for coping with financial pressures and provided responsive
cost-cutting measures, helping to transform the
Airbus business model and ensure the long-term success of what
some refer to as the “new Airbus.” In 2018, Airbus entered
the regional market when its Canadian branch struck
a partnership with Bombardier, acquiring its CS100 and CS300 models, which at that time had already
been in service for two years. Airbus managed to achieve this by getting
a majority share in the project of 50.01% for just one Canadian dollar! What a bargain! The existing models would be
re-branded the A220-100 and the A220-300. The A220-100 still dubbed
the CS100 at the time, would take its maiden flight
in September 2013. The A220-300, formerly
known as the CS300, would take first flight
in February 2015. Powered by Pratt and
Whitney turbofan engines, the twinjets feature
fly-by-wire flight controls, a carbon composite wing, an aluminum-lithium fuselage, and optimized aerodynamics
for better fuel efficiency. All of these features made
the A220 series more efficient and quieter than the
existing competitors. The operating costs for these
aircraft are 14% lower than the Boeing 787 Dreamliner and Airbus’ very own A350 XWB. The 35-meter-long A220-100
can seat 108 to 133 people, while the 38.7-meter-long
A220-300 seats 130 to 160. The maximum range of the A220
varies between 3,970 to 4,143 miles, and it has a maximum take-off
weight from 63.1 to 70.9 tons. To date, 227 A220 models
have been produced. Fun Fact: while Airbus and Boeing are now
closely matched in most markets, Airbus sets itself apart when it
comes to smaller regional planes. When global travel slowed down
significantly due to the pandemic, the A220 was among the first
aircraft to be put back into service due to its lower capacity
and excellent efficiency. It was dubbed ‘world’s most active aircraft’
by Simple Flying in August of 2020, with 93.75% of the global
fleet operational On the 1st of December 2010, Airbus launched the ‘neo’ program
for its A320 family of aircraft. Standing for “new engine option,” it involved upgrading the fleet in a number
of ways to maintain the A320’s reputation as the world's most advanced
and fuel-efficient single-aisle aircraft. Based on the enhanced variants
of previous A320 models, as well as the A319 and A321, the A320neo offered two
advanced engine choices of Pratt and Whitney and
CFM International, both of which provide outstanding operational,
economic, and environmental performance. Also included on the A320neo
were Airbus' Sharpless, 2.4-meter-tall wingtip devices that result in up to 4% reduced fuel
burn over longer journeys. This reduces annual CO2 emissions
by around 900 tons per aircraft and delivers 20% in fuel savings compared
to previous-generation Airbus aircraft. Other changes for the A320neo
included an expanded seating capacity with optimized cabin space
and increased exit limits, enabling the jetliner to accommodate
up to 194 passengers in a high-density configuration. On top of all that, this ‘new engine option’ would also offer an extra
flying range of 575 miles. The first A320neo took to
the skies in September 2014 and entered service with Lufthansa
on the 25th of January 2016. Other members of the A320 family, namely the A321 and A319, also received the neo upgrade, with previous models referred to
as “ceo” or “current engine option.” The A319neo is a shortened
fuselage variant of the A320neo, with seating for up to 160 passengers. The variant has been far less
popular than the A320neo, partly because of its competition
with the A220-300 created just a few years earlier. Airbus has, however, stated that they do
not plan to discontinue the aircraft. The A321neo is the lengthened
fuselage variant of the A320neo, allowing for up to 240 passengers. Unlike the A319neo, this variant has actually become more
popular than the A320neo itself, accounting for over 53% of all
A320neo family orders by 2022. In less than a year, the family of aircraft managed to stack
up 1,420 orders and commitments, making it the fastest-selling aircraft ever. By 2019, the A320neo had captured
60% of the market share versus the competing Boeing 737 MAX, and as of August 2022, a total of 8,502 aircraft
from the A320neo family had been ordered by more than
130 customers worldwide. 2,374 of those orders have been delivered
at the time of this video, completing more than 5
and a half million flights over 11 million block
hours without accidents! Wow, what a safety record! In October 2014, Airbus announced plans for a
Long-Range variant of the A321, appropriately named the A321LR. Containing 164 seats, it would provide 115 miles more range
than Boeing's 169-seat 757-200 and offers 27% lower trip costs. These benefits would result in the A321LR
gradually replacing the 757 in the market. After launching in January 2015 with
Air Lease Corporation as the customer, the initial 164-seat layout was replaced
by a two-class 206-seat configuration. Its range was 4,603 miles, which is still 575 miles farther
than the regular A321neo. In April 2019, JetBlue announced
its intention to use the A321LR on routes to London from
Boston and New York City, with the airline even converting 13 of
its standing orders for the A321neo into the A321LR to better
serve these routes. Fun Fact: The A321LR went through 15 continuous
flights for a 100-hour flight test. We're not sure if the
plane was getting tired, but the pilots definitely were! During the flight test, it
even set a record for having the longest range
of any single-aisle jetliner! Plans to give their A330 model the neo
makeover were announced in July 2014, with modern engines comparable
to those of Boeing's 787. The A330neo family was to be powered
exclusively by the Rolls-Royce Trent 7000 and offered 14% better
fuel economy per seat. Two versions of the A330neo
would be created based on the A330-200
and the A330-300. The A330-800neo was
designed for longer distances like the A330-200 that it's based on. The aircraft can carry up
to 257 passengers over an insane distance of up to
9,379 miles or 15,090 kilometers. Despite its impressive range, the A330-800, as of this point in time, is the worst-selling jet
that Airbus has produced. This is likely because airlines decided
that replacing the A330-200 with this newer model
wasn't worth it. Airbus also lost their battle against
the older, more popular Boeing 787-8. The A330-900neo is very similar to the A330-300 in it's fuselage length. It can carry up to 287 passengers
over a distance of 7,538 miles or 12,130 kilometers. Thankfully for Airbus, this model was a lot more
popular than its counterpart, with a total of 267 orders. The A330neo family
features new technologies and multiple aerodynamic improvements, such as the new composite
winglet devices that generate increased
lift and reduce drag. The A330neo models
reduce fuel consumption and CO2 emissions by 25% compared to previous-generation aircraft, and the interior has been made more
comfortable for passengers as well. Utilizing the state-of-the-art cabin
developments introduced on A350, it encompasses Airbus’
four key pillars: comfort, ambiance, services, and design. There's more personal space, a unique welcome area, and signature elements
to add a sense of luxury. Wider seats, a beautifully lit cabin, and the latest generation
of in-flight entertainment, plus email and Wi-Fi capabilities, all come as standard
on the A330neo models. The first such aircraft entered service
on the 15th of December 2018, and so far, 79 of them
have been made. Fun Fact: The 'SE' in Airbus’ official
corporate name, ‘Airbus SE,’ stands for ‘Societas Europaea,’ which means it's registered
as a European corporation rather than a national one. Its shares are traded in
France, Germany, and Spain, but with over 180 locations and
12,000 direct suppliers globally, Airbus has built on its
strong European foundation to become an
international powerhouse. Based on deliveries alone, Airbus is nowofficially the largest
airplane manufacturer in the world! Speaking of size and XL version of
the already-huge Beluga aircraft took its maiden flight in July 2018 and was put into service by
Airbus just 18 months later. By volume, it is the fifth largest
cargo transport aircraft in the world, although Boeing's Dreamlifter remains
the largest by length and wingspan. Based on an A330-200 airframe, the Beluga XL offers an incredible
2,209 cubic meters of fuselage space. By comparison, the Dreamlifter
manages 1,840 cubic meters. Interestingly, the six-engine
Ukrainian Antonov An-225 can carry the heaviest
load of any transport aircraft, with a maximum take-off
weight of 640 tons. However, its cargo space
is only 1,300 cubic meters. Sadly, however, the
world's largest plane was destroyed by the Russians
in the war in Ukraine. There are plans to restore the plane, which will take over five years
to rebuild and cost over 3 billion USD! These costs are massive considering
the program to develop and produce 5 Beluga XL models cost 1 billion euros or 1.1 billion dollars. As with its predecessor, now known as the BelugaST, the BelugaXL fleet operates
across 11 destinations in Europe, continuing to strengthen
Airbus’ industrial capabilities and enabling the company to meet
its production and delivery commitments by moving oversize aircraft
components such as wings. However, by far, the best part of
this aircraft has to be the new design. Leaning heavily into its nickname, Airbus decided to give the
Beluga eyes and a mouth, To date, a total of 6 Beluga
XL have been built. In 2019 at the Paris Air Show, an extra-long-range version of
the Airbus A321 was revealed, with deliveries of the aircraft
expected from 2024 onwards. This aircraft will be competing with the
Boeing NMA that is still in development and will be essential for Boeing to avoid
losing market share to the Airbus. Offering 5,409 miles of range, the XLR features a new permanent
Rear Centre Tank for more fuel, a strengthened landing gear for a
101-ton maximum take-off weight, and an optimized wing
trailing-edge flap to preserve take-off performance. The A321XLR is called a
‘low-risk route opener’ by Airbus itself because it allows airlines
to fly longer routes that lack the demand
to use a larger aircraft. The single-aisle, Xtra
Long Range plane received plenty of orders
at the airshow in Paris, with Middle East Airlines being the first,
becoming its launch customer. As of April 2022, 450 orders had been
received from 24 countries, most notably with 50 orders
coming from United Airlines at a value of $7.1 billion to
replace its 757-200 fleet. It looks as though Airbus and
Boeing will continue to dominate the skies for years to come, with the Europeans looking
set to lead from the front, at least in the near future. And given Airbus’
track record so far, I'm okay with that! Please subscribe
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