I’ve been following the ongoing saga of Bombardier and Embraer’s tentative foray into larger capacity jets. I handn’t really decided what to say about all that, mainly because I’ve been waiting to see what my boys at Embraer are going to do. For the most part, even though they formed a division to study the market, Embraer seems to be waiting to see what Bombardier, Boeing and Airbus are going to do.
Well, now we know. More after the jump.
XL Airways France Airbus A320-214 F-GRSI, parked @ Paris CDG
Photo by: slasher-fun
Boeing
Boeing said they would re-engine their B737 to meet the threat from Bombardier and the potential Embraer threat rather than trying to launch an all new jet. I think that’s a good move since they are already beta testing 2 new commercial jets in the 787 and the 747-8. No need to take on another new jet at this point in time.
Bombardier
Bombardier seems determined to build their C Series jets to compete with the single aisle narrow bodies from Boeing and Airbus. All Bombardier needs to do is the math since they seem determined and have ample the desire to launch the C Series.
Airbus
Airbus has thrown down the gauntlet and simultaneously issued a threat to Bombardier, and by extension, to Embraer. The proverbial line in the sand (dare I say Maginot line?) is drawn at the A320′s passenger capacity.
Airbus firmly believes that all it needs to do to stave off the CSeries jets, and by extension whatever plane Embraer decides to launch, is to simply re-engine the A320s with newer more efficient engines. Pretty much the same thing that Boeing plans to do with the B737.
Tom Williams, Airbus’s head of programs had this to say about the CSeries jets that Bombardier wants to launch:
Once the A320 is re-engined “there will be no business case left for the CSeries, Williams says, sounding a lot like his Airbus counterpart, John Leahy.
Aviation Week
Basically, Airbus is telling Bombardier “I will end you, if you try to compete with me on my turf.” Airbus has put off the decision to re-engine until the end of 2010.
It looks like we have the potential for big time, high stakes game of chicken. I just wish Airbus would tell us how they really feel.
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