A320neo
gathers momentum
The A320neo has attracted a record order from India’s low-cost IndiGo. Ian Putzger examines the argument for the new aircraft.
A
t the beginning of December, Airbus ended months of speculation with the announcement that it had decided to equip its A320 family with new engines. In fi ve years, the fi rst of the new A320neo (new engine option) aircraft will be delivered to customers, promising fuel savings of up to 15% as well as signifi cantly reduced CO2
and NOX
emissions. In addition, the new engines can extend the range of the aircraft by up to 500 nautical miles. At this point the aircraft maker intends to offer neo versions of its A319, A320 and A321 types. The A320neo is due to make its debut in the fi rst quarter of 2016, followed by the A321 and then the A319. Given the extensive certifi cation work, Airbus expects all types to be available in 2017. At this point there are no plans to offer a neo version of the A318, but this will be reviewed down the road, says Alan Pardoe, head of product marketing
50
communications at Airbus. “It is a popular plane,” he adds. Either CFM International’s LEAP-X or Pratt & Whitney’s PurePower PW1100G engines will power the A320neo. Besides the more effi cient engines, the aircraft will be fi tted with ‘Sharklets’, large wing-tip devices that generate fuel effi ciency gains of 3.5%. They are scheduled to come on stream in the fourth quarter of 2012. According to Pardoe, Sharklets will be an integral part of the A320neo and contribute to overall net fuel savings of 15%.
Fuel savings
These savings come at a cost, however. Customers who opt for the neo instead of the standard A320 will have to pay $6.2 million more. Once the price differential and the training costs for bringing pilots up to speed with the A320neo are factored in, the fuel savings should be in single digits,
around the 8%–9% mark, reckons Usman Ahmed, aviation analyst at IBA Group.
For airlines, this is still substantial. Virgin America, which has ordered 30 A320neos, calculated that fuel savings come to $1.1 million per aircraft a year – at an oil price of $80 a barrel. Recent oil price developments and the prospect of prices remaining above the $100 mark make the new engine scenario all the more appealing. According to Pardoe, pilot training is expected to require, at most, one day of computer-based training. On top of the fuel savings, the
A320neo promises 3,600 tonnes of CO2 savings annually and a double-digit reduction in NOX
emissions. With an
emissions trading scheme looming in Europe, this is of benefi t to carriers, remarks Pardoe, adding that the quieter engines help them to avoid curfews and extend their operating hours.
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