One senior Airbus executive, during a dinner in Toulouse in May, seemed aghast at the suggestion the airframer might view the A350-800 as the runt of the litter: "That's like asking which of your children you love the least!"
But even Airbus must be struggling to suspend disbelief regarding its public insistence that the -800 has a future. Because it's hard to imagine that, given the choice, the airframer really wants to divert resources to the cut-and-shut version of the -900 when the challenge of the -1000 is looming, particularly given the uncertainty of Boeing's schedule for the upgraded 777X and the pressure of -900 production ramp-up.
By prying Qatar Airways away from its launch order, the airframer has halved the number of -800s that once featured on its books and taken the backlog down to double figures. Psychological barriers aside, Qatar's defection also removes a lynchpin order for the type and undermines the economic case for satisfying the remaining customer base.
Aeroflot and US Airways have been left to defend the -800's position but their collective orders look increasingly exposed, especially given that some of the outstanding customers have already partly converted, while others have undergone significant changes in circumstances. Don't be surprised if, like Boeing with the 787-3, Airbus rethinks its family values.
But even Airbus must be struggling to suspend disbelief regarding its public insistence that the -800 has a future. Because it's hard to imagine that, given the choice, the airframer really wants to divert resources to the cut-and-shut version of the -900 when the challenge of the -1000 is looming, particularly given the uncertainty of Boeing's schedule for the upgraded 777X and the pressure of -900 production ramp-up.
By prying Qatar Airways away from its launch order, the airframer has halved the number of -800s that once featured on its books and taken the backlog down to double figures. Psychological barriers aside, Qatar's defection also removes a lynchpin order for the type and undermines the economic case for satisfying the remaining customer base.
Aeroflot and US Airways have been left to defend the -800's position but their collective orders look increasingly exposed, especially given that some of the outstanding customers have already partly converted, while others have undergone significant changes in circumstances. Don't be surprised if, like Boeing with the 787-3, Airbus rethinks its family values.
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