Airbus hopes to grab a
bigger share of the large corporate jet market with the launch of its
wide-body A330 workhorse to customers in the region as the delayed
rollout of its successor, the long-range A350, helps Boeing gain
altitude over its fiercest rival.
With a price tag of less than
US$200 million, according to the Airbus Corporate Jet (ACJ) chief Benoit
Defforge, the 330 Summit can fly between the Arabian Gulf and the US
west coast non-stop and features a bedroom with en suite bathroom, an
office and a conference and dining room. It can accommodate up to 90
passengers. That compares to a list price of $218m for the 787 business
jet from Boeing.
“The ACJ330 provides Airbus with a short-term
viable corporate jet rival to [the] 787-8/9 Boeing Business Jet [BBJ]
until it can devise a longer-term base using the A350 platform,” said
Saj Ahmad, chief analyst with StrategicAero Research. “Given the
pressures on businesses and individuals to be less active in the
business jet market, demand for this jet will be piecemeal given that
many such jets last for many years and are seldom replaced just because
something newer exists.”
The first 787-8 BBJ – also known as the
787 VIP – was delivered in December last year, a few months after the
commercial version was handed over to airlines. Its main feature is its
fuel-efficiency thanks to a composite frame.
The first A350 is
slated to be delivered to Qatar Airways next week and Airbus has an
order backlog for 800 aircraft, leaving corporate clients facing a long
wait for a bespoke model.
The Middle East is Airbus’s biggest
market for corporate jets with more than half of its 170 private
aircraft sold in the region, primarily Saudi Arabia, Qatar and the UAE,
it said. The Middle East Business Aviation Association (Mebaa) – which
is hosting an industry event kicking off in Dubai today – has predicted
that the number of registered aircraft in the region will reach 1,200 by
2020, up from 530 in 2013.
However, Honeywell Aerospace said in a
late October report that business jet demand from the Middle East and
Africa had moved below its historical growth rate of 4 to 7 percent a
year, citing ongoing conflict in the region, lower oil prices and health
crises in Africa.
The dogfight between Boeing and Airbus for
supremacy in the large business jet market is as keen as it is in the
commercial sector, with total historical sales of 217 BBJs for Boeing
and 178 ACJs for Airbus.
However, with austerity still top of
mind for most companies, crude sliding 40 per cent since June and the
787 already being delivered to customers, the pressure is on Airbus.
“It’s
a challenging market for everybody but it is a key business tool and
allows executives to be more productive,” said David Velupillai,
marketing director for Airbus Corporate Jets.
“Sales are less
today than pre-2008 for all manufacturers. Today we would expect to sell
10 aircraft a year, whereas a few years ago we would have sold 15
aircraft a year. The market we are in is cyclical with peaks and
troughs. We are driven by economic growth and the prospects for economic
growth is good.”
The global business jet market is forecast to grow at a CAGR of 9.4 percent between 2012 and 2016, according to Mebaa.
Source: http://www.thenational.ae
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