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Airbus offers longer-range A330 with increased payload

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Airbus is set to reveal plans for a maximum gross weight increase of its Airbus A330-300 widebody.

 

The 2t increase, to 235t, will allow the aircraft to operate an additional 120nm (220km) or carry an extra 1.2t payload.

 

In 2008, Airbus announced a weight increase on its A330-200. At the time, the manufacturer raised the maximum gross weight by an additional 5t to 238t.

 

Flight International understands that Airbus management will by the end of the year sign off the commercial authorisation to launch the variant.

 

As of 31 October, Airbus had clocked up 66 net orders for A330s, including 38 -300s and 28 -200s.

 

Source: http://www.flightglobal.com/articles/2010/11/25/350165/airbus-poised-to-launch-higher-weight-a330-300.html

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I think Airbus is being clever here. It is taking advantage of the B787 delays and it is also covering its ass on the possible A350 delays too. So it can't afford to have an uncompetitive product line in case the A350 delays drag on like the B787.

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Will it be possible for MAS to upgrade the A330 orders to this new configuration?

 

Possible if MAS buy another round of A330 or use remaining option available...

 

This new upgrade still long to wait before we can see this 1 make a maiden flight...

 

Just my 2 cent... :pardon:

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Or maybe, MH can convert the last 10 or so order into HGW aircraft.

Will the HGW aircraft actually make a difference to MAS' needs for that particular aircraft type?

It still won't reach those European destinations...

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Will the HGW aircraft actually make a difference to MAS' needs for that particular aircraft type?

It still won't reach those European destinations...

Increased cargo load will do.

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Increased cargo load will do.

And that means more money! :drinks:

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Airbus juggles A330-300 weights to offer longer range

 

Airbus is to offer carriers a higher-weight A330-300 from the fourth quarter of this year, taking the maximum take-off weight (MTOW) to 235t.

 

Raising the MTOW would extend the range by 135nm (250km) with a typical 300-passenger load, or provide a 1.4t payload increase at a range above 4,200nm. TUI Group is ordering a pair of the jets, with 362 seats, for its French division Corsair.

 

Airbus has identified the new weight variant as WV54. It will offer a 2t increase in MTOW over its predecessor, the WV52, and 5t above the baseline WV50. The airframer says that design-load analysis indicates that the 2t increase is achievable if it is "compensated" by a 2t reduction in maximum zero-fuel weight, to 173t.

 

Maximum landing weight, 187t, will remain unchanged from the WV52. Local structural modifications will be required for the new airframe - including changes of rivets in the forward lower fuselage shell - but these will have "negligible impact" on aircraft empty weight. Part of the change has already been implemented as part of A330-200 production.

 

Airbus says it wants to increase the payload-range performance of the A330-300 while "taking full benefit of demonstrated wing structural capability".

 

Maximum aft position of the centre-of-gravity has been reduced at the higher weight, to keep vertical static load on the main landing-gear unchanged.

 

"These improvements have been achieved with little impact on the aircraft's operability, meaning that the aircraft will be able to use most of the existing runways and the airport take-off slots without penalty," says Airbus.

 

Take-off and go-around thrust are unchanged on the higher-weight variant, which will require a 70-90m (230-300ft) increase in take-off distance.

 

But while the Rolls-Royce Trent 772- and Pratt & Whitney PW4170-powered versions of the aircraft will meet QC2 take-off noise criteria, slight engine modification will be needed for certain airframes equipped with General Electric CF6-80E1s.

 

The A4 model of the GE powerplant will fall within the QC2 threshold, says Airbus, but not the A3 model.

 

In order to bring the latter into line, GE is developing a nacelle modification and noise tests are scheduled to take place in the first quarter of this year, with certification planned for the third quarter.

 

Although the engine modification will be available through retrofit, Airbus is not offering the higher-weight airframe as a retrofit package. But it says this possibility "will be investigated...depending on customer requests".

 

Airbus expects delivery slots for the new A330-300 variant to become available from the first quarter of 2012. Its A330-300 backlog at the end of 2010 stood at 141 aircraft.

 

Source: http://www.flightglobal.com/articles/2011/01/27/352426/airbus-juggles-a330-300-weights-to-offer-longer-range.html

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New 240 tonne takeoff-weight capability extends A330’s market coverage

 

9 July 2012

Airbus has decided to offer a further enhanced version of the popular A330 airliner by increasing the maximum takeoff weight capability to 240 metric tonnes. This 240 tonne capability will be first applied to the larger A330-300 model and subsequently to the A330-200 and A330-200F

 

The respective performance improvements are as follows: The 240 tonne A330-300 will benefit from up to 400nm extra range – to 5,950nm (11,020km) – with 300 passengers and carry nearly five tonnes more payload than today’s 235 tonne aircraft. Meanwhile, the new 240 tonne A330-200 will fly up to 270nm further – to 7,050nm (13,060km) – with 246 passengers and carry over 2.5 tonnes more payload than today’s 238 tonne A330-200. The two models will also bring increased fuel efficiency thanks to aerodynamic refinements and engine enhancements. Entry into service of the 240 tonne A330-300 is aimed for mid 2015.

 

In practical terms 240 tonne capability significantly extends the market coverage of the A330 Family. For example, this newest A330-300 will now be able to connect to the following new city pairs: London to Tokyo; Frankfurt to Cape Town; Beijing to Melbourne; Beijing to San Francisco; Kuala Lumpur to Paris; and Los Angeles to Dublin. Moreover, compared with the original 212 tonne A330-300 in 1992, the 240 tonne A330-300 can fly 2,000nm (3,700km) further and now cover 90 percent of the market from Heathrow – up 51 percent from 39 percent market coverage at original EIS.

 

“The A330 has come a long way in the last 10 years, and we are delighted to bring to more airlines the advantages and reliability of A330 economics over ever wider markets,” says John Leahy, Chief Operating Officer Customers of Airbus. “This aircraft is the most popular aircraft ever in its category and looks set to hold this position for years to come.”

 

This latest A330-300 aircraft can now also fly similar ranges while burning over 15 percent less fuel than the B777-200ER on a 1,800nm mission. Furthermore, the A330 even becomes an extremely cost-effective alternative to the B787 on many routes with around five percent lower direct operating costs per trip than the B787. A key advantage of 240 tonne capability is that the increase in range allows the A330-300 to cover more of the A330-200 network, this gives airlines the flexibility to use the A330-200 to open new routes and grow frequency whilst using the A330-300 to grow capacity at low cost.

 

The A330 Family, which spans 250 to 300 seats, and includes Freighter, VIP, and Military Transport/Tanker variants, has now attracted around 1,200 orders and some 900 aircraft are flying with over 90 operators worldwide. Ever since the original version of the A330-300 entered service, the hallmark has been its very efficient operating economics. Thanks to the introduction of numerous product improvements, it remains the most cost-efficient and capable aircraft in its class and the Family is achieving average dispatch reliability above 99 percent. With headquarters in Toulouse, France, Airbus is an EADS company.

 

Source: Airbus

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This latest A330-300 aircraft can now also fly similar ranges while burning over 15 percent less fuel than the B777-200ER on a 1,800nm mission. Furthermore, the A330 even becomes an extremely cost-effective alternative to the B787 on many routes with around five percent lower direct operating costs per trip than the B787. A key advantage of 240 tonne capability is that the increase in range allows the A330-300 to cover more of the A330-200 network, this gives airlines the flexibility to use the A330-200 to open new routes and grow frequency whilst using the A330-300 to grow capacity at low cost.

 

 

Interesting. But what is the fuel burn/passenger? Are they comparing apples to apples?

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Rolls-Royce plans further performance improvement for market-leading Trent 700 engine

 

Monday, 9 July 2012

Rolls-Royce, the global power systems company, plans to make further performance improvements to its market-leading Trent 700 engine that powers the Airbus A330.

 

Technologies already proven on Rolls-Royce Trent 1000, Trent XWB and BR725 engines are available to be incorporated into the Trent 700 to deliver increased efficiency of at least one per cent. The improvement programme will also focus on engine service support.

 

The Trent 700 is the best-selling member of the Trent engine family, with more than 1,400 either sold or on order. It is the market leader on the Airbus A330, accounting for around three quarters of future engine orders on the aircraft.

 

The improvement programme will be finalised this year, with enhanced engines expected to enter service in 2015. Improvements will also be available for retrofit to the current engine fleet. The enhanced Trent 700 will complement the improvements to the A330 aircraft that Airbus has announced.

 

Tom Palmer, Rolls-Royce, Project Director - Trent 700, said: “The market’s favourite engine for the Airbus A330 is about to get even better. We are committed to continually improving every member of the Trent family as we develop new technology that improves efficiency. We now look forward to working with our customers and Airbus to bring this new standard of Trent 700 to the market, where I am sure it will prove popular for decades to come.”

 

The Trent 700 is the only engine specifically designed for the Airbus A330 and entered service in 1995. The improvement programme announced today is in addition to enhancements introduced in 2009, incorporating Trent 900 and Trent 1000 technology, that delivered a one per cent reduction in fuel consumption.

 

At any one time 40,000 passengers are flying on a Trent 700 powered Airbus A330. On average a Trent 700 powered A330 takes off or lands somewhere around the world once every 40 seconds.

 

The Trent 900 is the engine of customer choice on the A380, selected by 11 of 16 airlines that have made an engine choice.

 

Source: http://www.rolls-royce.com/civil/news/2012/120709_performance_improvement_700_engine.jsp

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I think airbus is targeting MH, amongst others. KUL-CDG in the new 333 rather than the 772. Hmmmm

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I think airbus is targeting MH, amongst others. KUL-CDG in the new 333 rather than the 772. Hmmmm

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Extending the A330’s market leadership with more payload and range

 

Improvements to the twin-engine A330 – including integration of technology developed for Airbus’ new A350 – will further expand the operating range and payload capability of this long-popular jetliner by boosting its maximum takeoff weight to 240 metric tonnes.

 

Formal launch of the increased-range A330 was announced at the Farnborough Airshow today by John Leahy, Airbus Chief Operating Officer – Customers, who said this decision offers a highly economical aircraft with “more payload and more range to open more markets.”

 

Airbus initially will apply the maximum takeoff weight increase to its longer-fuselage A330-300, which is targeted to enter service in the summer of 2015, followed by the shorter A330-200 and the A330-200F freighter.

 

Among the updates incorporated in these new A330 variants are two technologies from the A350 programme: reshaping of the wing’s inboard Slat #1; and a shortening of the wing flap fairings – both of which provide improved aerodynamics. Wing slats are deployable surfaces on the leading edge of an aircraft’s wing, while the canoe-shaped flap track fairings protect and streamline the operating mechanisms for trailing-edge wing flap surfaces.

 

Also to be introduced on the longer-range A330 will be a load alleviation function – in which the wing’s ailerons are deployed during gust and turbulence conditions in-flight for span-wise load distribution on the wing, enabling the takeoff weight to be increased.

 

Leahy noted the A330’s latest maximum takeoff weight increase responds to airline demand for additional range with this twin-aisle jetliner, while further enhancing its revenue generation.

 

Using flight distances from London as an example, Leahy said the 5,950-nautical-mile range with an A330-300 operating at the 240 metric tonne maximum takeoff weight will make non-stop flights a reality to the U.S. west coast and Mexico, as well as to such destinations as Tokyo and Hong Kong.

Overall, Airbus has booked 1,193 firm orders for the A330. With the 887 deliveries made to date, the company has a backlog of 306 aircraft – supporting sustained production of this jetliner.

 

Source: Airbus

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With EIS set for 2015, I have a feeling we'll see a sizeable order for these birds from MH to replace their 17 B772s. The A33E IGW can replace the B772 on KUL-CDG, KUL-FRA, KUL-AKL, KUL-IST, KUL-SYD. Is the improved range enough to cover KUL-AMS and NRT-LAX?

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Malaysian Air Speeds Boeing Exodus as Airbus A330 Revamp Appeals

 

 

Malaysian Airline System Bhd. (MAS) will accelerate the exit of Boeing Co. (BA) wide-body jets from its fleet and look at ordering the upgraded A330 model announced by Airbus SAS yesterday, Chief Executive Officer Ahmad Jauhari Yahya said.

The carrier’s nine remaining Boeing 747 jumbos are likely to be stood down by the end of November rather than in March as planed earlier, while its 777-200s will be gone within three years, Yahya said in an interview at the Farnborough air show.

 

Malaysian Air will standardize its twin-aisle fleet on Airbus’s A380 and the smaller A330, with an upgraded version of the latter having sufficient range for a network where the longest route -- Kuala Lumpur-London -- is only 12.5 flying hours, Yahya said. The carrier has 15 A330s on order, about half of which have been delivered, and options for 10 more which could be converted as upgraded models, he said.

 

“We’ll be looking at Airbus (EAD)’s announcement to see if it can do the job of the 777s,” Yahya said. “We’d love to have new models like the 787 or the A350, and maybe one day we will, but right now we need to simplify the fleet and operate four types of plane instead of maybe six or seven.”

 

Adding 400 nautical miles of range to the A330 will allow it to fly around 6,000 miles, allowing nonstop service on routes such as London to Tokyo, Shanghai and Hong Kong. Whereas Airbus once had to strengthen the wing to boost maximum takeoff weight, making a plane heavier, it can now use the fly-by-wire computer system to adjust the wing for higher loads.

 

Route Plan

 

Malaysian Air’s 747s will be displaced from routes toLondon and Australia as it takes the first of six A380s.

One superjumbo is already in service to the U.K. capital and the second, displaying this week at the Farnborough show, will join it in mid-August to offer daily flights, Yahya said. Aircraft three and four will operate to Sydney and Melbourne in October and November and the fifth will be deployed to Tokyo.

The double-deckers are fitted out with 420 seats in economy class, 66 in business and eight in first. The CEO said that on reflection another 20 or so seats could probably have been accommodated and that this may be addressed in any future refit. The first-class cabin may also be moved to the top deck to avoid premium clients having to exit with coach passengers.

 

‘Serious Collaboration’

 

Malaysian Air will join the Oneworld alliance that includes British Airways and American Airlines in November or early December after it completes final preparations, Yahya said. BA owner International Consolidated Airlines Group SA (IAG) was formed as a holding company to facilitate future mergers, and the Malaysia CEO said he, too, views closer integration with other carriers as desirable.

“We are open to ideas,” the executive said. “Long-haul carriers will have to start looking at serious collaboration. We see consolidation in Europe right now and there is really only one set of economic rules that every needs to follow.”

The parent company of Malaysian Air unwound a share-swap plan with the owner of discount carrier AirAsia Bhd. (AIRA) in May amid complaints from unions, while talks on a planned partnership with Qantas Airways Ltd. (QAN) of Australia failed in March.

Yahya said that Malaysian Air aims to complete a 9 billion ringgit ($2.8 billion) refinancing plan in the next few months. The company issued an Islamic bond in June and benefited from a government issue via a commercial special purpose vehicle, with remaining funds to be raised from conventional borrowing.

The carrier is also reviewing its cargo and engineering units, which must become profit centers to survive, he said.

 

To contact the reporter on this story: Christopher Jasper in London at cjasper@bloomberg.net

 

To contact the editor responsible for this story: Benedikt Kammel at bkammel@bloomberg.net

 

 

Link : http://www.bloomberg...mp-appeals.html

 

 

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If MH orders the IGW A33Es, those business class seats better be flat-beds!

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