787 Program Review (Part Two)
Part Two of the 787 Program Review continues with Vice President of 787 Development, Mark Jenks as he discusses the future of the airplane.
Part One can be found here.
Future Marketplace
With older A300’s, A310’s, 767’s and a whole host of other airplanes heading into retirement, the growth in twinjets over the last quarter of a century has seen their capabilities expand and make them more attractive for long haul and ultra long haul travel.
GKN rolled out the first prototype composite wing spar for the upcoming Airbus A350XWB family as the company gears up for full scale production and delivery of the first airplane in 2013.
As the expansion in twin aisle, twinjets continues, Jenks highlights the problems faced by both Boeing and Airbus in the near future. For Airbus, they are working on their first major new airplane program since the A380, and for Boeing, the dilemma of what to do about the 777 family continues to raise as many questions as it does opportunities.
Emirates Boeing 777-300ER On The Everett Flight Line
“With the plan we have, the 787 and 777 are very complementary in their current form. When you look at the 787-8 and 787-9 and the 777 models our customers use, the combination is a really good combination for a lot of airlines.
At the end of the day, a lot is gonna depend on what Airbus does.
The competitive dynamic is going to drive a portion of this, but what does Airbus do next - are they gonna do a new refresh or new A320-sized airplane?
We’ve got decisions to make; when do we go look at a new smaller airplane versus a look at a refresh of the 777 – is it a refresh, is it a whole new airplane or do another derivative or upgrade; those are all things that are “in the mix.””
“It’s gonna be an interesting play to watch – even before Airbus does anything in terms of committing to their next move, they’ve still got an A350 to do and they’ll have interesting times ahead of them, I’m sure, as we had!
It’s going to be a very interesting marketplace, now that the economy is taking a turn, you knows, its another variable – all those things are in the mix – there are lots of options that have lots of interesting elements to them.”
Image courtesy of Boeing
Critically, Jenks made a point about the another derivative of the 787.
“Yes, there’s still a 787-3 in our program,” he notes.
From my discussions with both Japan Airlines and All Nippon Airways, both carriers are “disappointed” that the 787-3 has been pushed back for service entry after the 787-9, itself due in service in 2013, however both state that they “remain committed” to taking 43 787-3’s firmly ordered by the two carriers.
No firm date has been publicly announced as to when either carrier will take first deliveries of there 787-3’s.
Arran Aerospace’s Doug McVitie states the value proposition behind the 787-3 is a great tactical move for Boeing.
“The 787-3’s value to Boeing is far greater than a simple addition to the 787 stable. The aircraft is a strategic asset for Boeing which will perpetuate the Japanese airline industry’s long-running close cooperation with the US manufacturer,” he tells FleetBuzz Editorial.com.
Critically, discussions on the proposed second stretch 787-10 have in recent months dissipated while Boeing focuses on the near term aim of first flight.
“Don’t rule out the 787-10 just yet - you’ll probably see it fly sooner than a 777 replacement,” said one 777/787 customer who declined to be identified.
The final segment (Part Three) of this discussion with Mark Jenks will be published next week.
14 comments February 26th, 2009
