Airbus is poised to decide “sooner rather than later” whether to increase production of its A350 wide-body jets, Commercial CEO Lars Wagner said. He described a production increase as “inevitable,” given significant market demand.
The current plant has limited capacity, so an increase would likely require a new assembly line. The move would support Airbus’s strategy to capitalize on strong demand for long-haul aircraft and intensify competition with Boeing.
Airbus is also studying larger versions of the A350, potentially called the A350-2000, and the smaller A220. Decisions on these possible new models are expected during the company’s next five-year planning period, as Airbus considers how to meet airline demand for greater capacity and efficiency.