World Business

Airbus dresses plane as shark

By Andrea Rothman and Susanna Ray (China Daily)
Updated: 2010-06-05 10:17

TOULOUSE, France - Airbus SAS is emulating a marine predator to take a bite out of Boeing Co's home market.

The world's largest planemaker will fit so-called sharklets to the wings of the A321 single-aisle jet to enhance its range.

The eight-foot-high extensions are available from 2012 for 900,000 euros ($1.1 million) and promise to add 100 nautical miles to the aircraft's reach or increase its payload by as much as 1,100 pounds.

The A321, the largest of Airbus's four narrowbody models, has been handicapped by a shorter range than Boeing's 757, the plane of choice for US carriers on cross-country routes and to Hawaii. Boeing quit building the 757 in 2004 after a 23-year production run, creating an open flank to its larger rival as airlines consider replacements for the aging model.

Related readings:  Airbus jets out the tenth A320 from China  Airbus Tianjin to deliver 26 A320 family jets in 2010  Airbus sees corporate jet sales take off in China  Airbus A320 equipped with China-made wings

"I saw a market that was tantalizingly close, but we weren't quite there yet," said Airbus Chief Operating Officer John Leahy.

"Now with the sharklets, we've crossed the line."

Leahy said the Toulouse, France-based manufacturer can guarantee Boston to Los Angeles with maximum passengers under any weather conditions with the modified wing, as well as flights from Maui in Hawaii to San Francisco with a full load. Operators of the A321 previously had to take fewer passengers to lighten the load and extend the range on days with high winds.

Boeing delivered more than 1,000 757s, and more than 400 of the jet populate the fleets of Delta Air Lines Inc, United Airlines, and American Airlines.

Bloomberg News