The Unreleased Airbus A350neo

The A350neo is a hopeful variant that has been explored by Airbus in a bid to elevate the efficiency of the broader widebody program.

In essence, this new-engine option successor to the currently active and in-production A350 series would look to apply newer engines in a bid to see operating costs lowered for prospective operators.

The variant would align with Airbus’ many other successful re-engines that have unfolded in recent times, however, despite murmurs the aircraft is yet to see an official release.

What is the A350neo, why was it proposed, would it be a hit with customers, and more importantly is there any backing that would suggest a launch could be soon?

What Is The Airbus A350neo?

The term “neo” (New Engine Option) has become a staple in the commercial airplanes division at Airbus over the last decade and a half.

Through the development of engine technologies, Airbus has looked to leverage this for adoption across fundamental already successful programs to squeeze life out of the fuselage and appease customers with a new more efficient variant.

Despite the A350 being still a relatively new aircraft to the industry this did not by any means stop discussions very quickly commencing regarding a neo variant for future consideration.

Following in the footsteps of the already-released A320neo family and A330neo, the prospective A350neo would adopt cutting-edge technology through new engines to offer greater economics for airline customers.

While the premise sits on the engines it would very well make sense for Airbus to also offer aerodynamic improvements, further cabin refinements, and new technologies for the crew to bring in a new era of travel.

Furthermore, Airbus could extend the A350’s capabilities through these new engines while meeting the growing demand for sustainable flying which has become of paramount importance in recent times.

Where Did The A350neo Come From?

The idea of an A350neo emerged at a point when its predecessors the likes of the A350-900 and A350-1000 had only just begun to thrive within the aviation industry.

However, equally, this was an industry in which trends were very dramatically shifting towards sustainability and efficiency and Airbus wanted to understand how it could meet those goals further by offering upgrades on its current commercial aircraft portfolio.

In 2019, Aviation Week reported that Airbus was in the early stages of looking for a prospective engine supplier that would help aid it in offering a re-engined A350 aircraft for future flying.

This substantial report was also backed by The Air Current who shared Airbus’ intention regarding a prospective new A350 model earlier that very year. Aviation Week’s reporting suggested that GE was the leading candidate for early discussions regarding a new engine for the A350.

At that time, when responding to this report Airbus confirmed that it is always in discussions with engine manufacturers and other related suppliers to ensure the best interests of its business are at heart, this includes a wide array of topics. However, the topics at hand will also remain confidential.

Backed by some of the industry’s most reputable reports discussions surrounding the A350neo were very quickly then taken as credible. However, how strong the appetite to move ahead in the short term at that point was unclear considering the initial stages of the talks.

While at that point launching an A350neo would been a rather odd decision given the first A350 variant’s still youthful nature and persistent orders, however, the planemaker looking into the future is no doubt important.

Furthermore, what would occur a mere months after A350neo reports initially surfaced in late 2019 would be for Airbus to put a lot of prospective projects on hold, that being the COVID-19 pandemic that saw manufacturers have to re-prioritize areas of the business.

Would Airlines Want An Airbus A350neo?

Airlines have long sought aircraft that can find the optimal balance between cost-effectiveness and performance. It’s then the challenge of aircraft manufacturers to make this happen.

An appetite for a re-engine or enhancement, however, is something that has been hot on the radar for many aircraft programs and doesn’t just happen at Airbus but also at Boeing with the 737 MAX and 777X all largely being re-engines with other refinements.

However, the major difference between these aforementioned aircraft even including the A320 and A330 series is that of the space between the launch of the ceo and the neo. The A350neo talk emerged a matter of years after the first A350 entered service and as such was perceived to be quite early.

Airlines, however, could’ve wanted an A350neo for several fundamental reasons, one of those being efficiency. With prices to fly continuing to fluctuate for airlines, they must find ways to lower costs and become more efficient, an A350neo with enhanced and more modern engines would’ve looked to offer that very answer.

Moreover, other operating refinements would’ve no doubt looked to allow a more seamless operation for airline customers of the A350, who if they already had the A350-900 or were keen on the series would have wanted to leverage it for their own business.

So, while these factors are worth mentioning equally it must be said that the A350 is young, still now in the mid-2020s some 5 years after talk on the A350neo emerged it’s still being ordered and delivered and this will continue well into the 2030s.

As a result, Airbus moving ahead with an A350neo would’ve negated a lot of airlines’ purpose for the A350-900 and A350-1000 and added complexities to the broader program if even released now by the mid-2020s.

So Why No A350neo In 2024?

Despite the potential benefits, Airbus has not yet committed to developing the A350neo, and there are several key factors as to why this has unfolded in this manner.

Firstly, the A350 program, which includes the A350-900 and A350-1000, remains successful with strong order backlogs that are continuing to only grow. The aircraft already offers efficiency and offers most of what airlines require for their day-to-day operations.

The need to develop a new variant to combat say the inefficiencies or aging nature of the A350 simply isn’t there and the feedback on the A350 being only positive highlights that Airbus is making the right decision.

Additionally, developing an A350neo would result in a lot of resources being required. While this could very well be an aircraft possible in the future, for now, those resources can be better spent on developing the A350 program further.

That development is evident through the A350-1000ULR for Qantas Project Sunrise flights and the also announced A350F which will complement existing variants and showcase the still unrealized potential this family costs.

Will Airbus Launch An A350neo?

While it’s impossible to predict what aircraft Airbus will launch in the future, speculation continues to occur within the aviation industry and the A350neo will always be talked about.

Based on Airbus’ appetite in 2019 to already explore re-engining the A350 in a neo variant it could very well be something they revisit later down the line. However, there’ll fundamentally be factors to consider when the time comes.

Airbus will need to conduct a feasibility study for the variant, understand the prospects for an A350neo, and whether by the time the need for a new-engine option of this widebody comes around, there isn’t room for a clean sheet thanks to the ongoing studies now.

The next commercial airliners released will need to be more sustainable than ever and will likely fly into the 2060s and Airbus may very well feel that while an A350neo could be a short-term solution whatever it’s currently studying is what the next direction will be.

The Airbus A350neo…

Not many aircraft such as the A350 has launched and so quickly seen reports of a successor being talked about, however, that’s where this popular widebody stands out.

Many things have gone wrong across the last five years and Airbus has committed to enhancing the A350 through the various derivatives it has now, not necessarily through an A350neo.

While a great opportunity for Airbus to use next-gen technologies and adopt them to the variant it’s one that many would’ve argued needed to come later rather than sooner to not add complexities. That being if Airbus wasn’t going to offer a simple engine swap solution.