Potential Addition to Airbus A320neo Family Could Replace Aging Boeing 757

Airbus is positioning its A320neo family as a potential replacement for the aging Boeing 757-200.

Airlines may soon be considering the Airbus A320neo family as a potential replacement for their aging Boeing 757-200 aircraft, if a new push by the European aircraft manufacturer is successful. Flightglobal reports Airbus is currently evaluating the viability of a long-range A321neo for flights across the Atlantic Ocean, making it a replacement for the aging 757 aircraft around the world.

“Was the 757 being used for capacity or for its performance?” said Keith Stonestreet, director of investor marketing for Airbus, told Flightglobal. “There are routes that don’t justify a widebody but would justify a large single aisle [aircraft].”

This is not the first time that the A320neo family has come up in conversation as a possible replacement to the Boeing mainstay. In November, American Airlines announced they were evaluating a potential long-range version of the A321neo for addition to their fleet. In addition, officials at Airbus note that American has begun using A319 aircraft on routes to airports that previously relied on the performance of the 757. Airports now being serviced by American with the A319 include Wyoming’s Jackson Hole Airport (JAC) and Bogota El Dorado International Airport (BOG) in Colombia.

According to Airbus, the proposed long-range A321neo aircraft would have a range of 4,100 nautical miles and feature 164 seats in a two-class configuration. Stonestreet told FlightGlobal that the proposed addition to the A320neo family would be ideal for routes between 3,500 and 4,000 nautical miles.

The proposed aircraft is presently in its evaluation phase, and there are no plans to begin manufacturing operations in the near future. Airbus officials said that if the aircraft were to move forward, the first deliveries could happen as soon as 2019.

[Photo: Airbus]