By Robert Wall
DOHA-- Airbus Group NV chief airplane salesman John Leahy said
the company's A320neo single-aisle jet remains on schedule, even
though a variant of the aircraft's engine suffered a major failure
on a rival plane.
An engine built by the Pratt & Whitney unit of United
Technologies Corp. on May 29 suffered a major failure during ground
tests on a Bombardier Inc. CSeries plane. The A320neo, an upgrade
Airbus is developing for its best-selling narrowbody, uses a
similar version of the Pratt & Whitney engines.
"It should not affect us in the slightest," said Leahy, chief
operating officer for customers at Airbus's commercial airplane
arm, as he unveiled an order from Air New Zealand to buy 14 A320
single-aisle aircraft, including 10 re-engined A320neo jets.
Airbus Chief Executive Tom Enders said last week the A320neo is
due to fly for the first time in September ahead of first customer
deliveries next year. Assuring a "flawless" service introduction is
important, he told shareholders.
Airbus is ramping up A320 production and expects to build 46
planes a month starting in 2016. The Toulouse-based plane maker may
boost output further once it has transitioned to the A320neo from
2018.
Airbus also offers the A320neo with a turbine developed by
General Electric Co. and Safran SA. That model is due in 2016.
The cause of the engine failure during ground maintenance
training of the Canadian jet still isn't known. Canadian aviation
safety officials are reviewing the incident.
Pratt & Whitney has sold more than 5,500 geared turbofan
engines, most for the A320neo. The engine also is due to be used on
the Mitsubishi Aircraft regional jet, an upgraded plane from
Brazil's Embraer SA and a new Russian airliner.
Bombardier has said it plans to deliver the first CSeries that
can seat between 100-150 passengers in the second half of next
year. The need for additional tests and to develop software have
already set the program's schedule back a year.
Write to Robert Wall at robert.wall@wj.com
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