Airbus is considering a 245-metric-ton (or heavier) development of the A330-900neo (new engine option) in a move aimed at making it more competitive against the Boeing 787. The higher-weight option of the re-engined twin-aisle jet would permit airlines to carry additional fuel or more cargo. Meanwhile, Airbus is hoping to avoid major changes such as a new landing gear for the heavier aircraft.

Chief operating officer (customers) John Leahy said that the initial 287-seat A330-900neo’s range is almost 1,300 nautical miles shy of the 7,830 nm offered by the 787-9, which carries a slightly smaller 283-passenger load. The current 242-metric-ton maximum operating weight was introduced on the A330ceo (current engine option) with Delta Air Lines a year ago.

The Airbus executive also said that the European manufacturer is considering an operating weight of 245 metric tons “or perhaps beyond” for the prospective sub-variant, which would retain the A330’s Category B airport rating. The latter compares with the Category F standard applied to the Boeing 777 (or Category E for 777X variants equipped with folding wingtips to reduce their ramp footprint).

A330-900neo structural sub-assemblies and equipment are “on track” to enter final assembly during the third quarter, ahead of scheduled first flight, testing and certification and in time for entry into service in “late 2017,” according to Airbus programs executive v-p Didier Evrard.

Since announcing the A330-800neo and -900neo here at Farnborough two years ago, Airbus has seen increased orders for the earlier Ceo model sufficient to justify raising production rates (from previously reduced levels) to six per month this year and then to seven, until manufacture gives way to the new variants entering service at the end of next year. Evrard reported that the A330ceo secured more than 100 new orders during 2015, “filling the production line ahead of the A330neo in late 2017.”

Initial sub-assemblies being gathered in the Toulouse factory’s final-assembly area for the first A330neo, which is scheduled to go to Portuguese carrier TAP, include the center wingbox and air intake (coming from Nantes), wing (Broughton), Pylon (St Eloi) and nacelle (France, Morocco and UK). Evrard describes the 42-month A330neo gestation period as a “very short” development time.

Introduction of the manufacturer’s Airspace cabin interior (from the A350) will continue the A330’s “non-stop innovation” aimed at enhancing airline profitability, said Evrard. This development includes new entrance area, larger overhead bins and 18-inch-wide seats, with the Airbus “Space Flex/Smart Lav” rear-cabin furnishing arrangement providing room for an additional 10 seats.

Leahy said that passengers will find that the A330neo and A350 cabins “look very similar.” Evolution is set to continue, since strategy and marketing executive v-p Kiran Rao said Airbus is looking “to make a lot of further changes to stay ahead of the competition.”

Rao lamented that the “only thing that let the [single-aisle] A320 down was the cabin, so [for the A330neo] we looked at the A350.” He added the A330neo cabin will be 3dB quieter than that of the 787.

Leahy claims that Boeing 787-8 per-seat fuel and cash-operating costs will be 2-to-5 percent higher than those of the A330-800 Neo, while the margin for the larger 787-9 over the A330-900 will be 2 percent for each measure.

Meanwhile, British engine supplier Rolls-Royce, whose Trent 7000 powerplant was confirmed as the A330neo’s sole engine at the 2014 launch, has conducted initial ground runs on the first example. Last month, the company was getting ready to assemble the first Trent 7000s for flight-test. The A330neo’s engine has been developed from the Trent 1000 TEN, the latest variant of the design that competes against General Electric’s GEnx to power the 787, and is expected to be able to handle the planned aircraft weight increase to 245 metric tons. o