Airbus To Cancel A319neo?

Airbus’ smallest next-generation member of the A320neo family, the A319neo, could be at risk of being cancelled.

According to Airliner World, a leading trade publication, the A319neos’ place within the industry is at risk after struggling to secure commitments from global carriers.

The A319neo has secured just 57 orders, with less than half of those awaiting final delivery, according to the latest figures. This number pales in comparison to the orders for all other available variants in the A320neo program.

Being described as a crossroads, an important decision must now be made as the planemaker mulls internally whether to axe the smallest member and instead move ahead strictly with the A320neo and A321neo, alongside their derivatives.

Speaking with Airliner World, the A320 Family Chief Engineer, Marc Guinot, said, “We could consider stopping the A319 at some point, but to do this, we should first have an A320neo with an excellent level of performance for high-altitude airports”

In essence, the only thing keeping the A319neo alive is its ability to fly through high-altitude destinations, which is certainly visible in specific markets, but by no means has this made the aircraft a resounding success.

The Airbus A319neo Specifications

The Airbus A319neo offers a range of 3,700 nautical miles (6,850 kilometres) for prospective and existing customers, alongside a passenger capacity of 160.

For Airbus, they believe that the A319neo’s key selling point does not strictly lie in just these two elements, but more in its ability to operate with a substantial payload across airports located at higher altitudes.

The A319neo can be visible across airports at an altitude of 14,500 feet or 4,420 meters; it’s an offering that serves a purpose, but by no means is it a widespread one, a relatively niche one, as evidenced by its customer base, which is highlighted by its relatively poor sales performance.

The remaining backlog for this program consists primarily of deliveries for Air China; however, Tibet Airlines is also expecting units, as well as some undisclosed customers. It’s a small customer base.

Why Has The A319neo Failed?

While the specifications may have been deemed solid at one point, the purchase of the CSeries in the latter stages of the 2010s, followed by rebranding to the A220, put yet another nail in the coffin of the A319neo program.

When considering an airline, the cost benefits of a regional jet like this over opting for the A319neo make sense; it becomes hard to justify the purchase of such a single-aisle type.

Additionally, when the A320neo and A321neo are featured, these models are widely considered by airlines to be the superior choice for single-aisle flying, and these aircraft alone, without Airbus trying to make the smaller model obsolete.

For Airbus, this isn’t just evident in the A320neo program; across the A330neo and the A330-800 model, the smallest variant has also failed miserably, as airlines prefer larger aircraft.

When comparing the combined orders for the A320neo and the A321neo, which exceed 10,000, the just over 50 orders for the A319neo model pale in comparison; this highlights the significance of the others and the internal realisation that the smallest model would struggle to attract orders has long been made.