European aircraft manufacturer Airbus announced Sunday to enhance the thrust of its long range A350-1000 passenger planes with Rolls-Royce's more powerful Trent XWB engines, but the entry into service of A350-1000 is thus delayed to mid 2017.
The enhanced version of the Trent XWB engine will be fully optimized for the largest member of the A350 XWB Family and will deliver up to 97,000lbs of thrust on takeoff, the France-based Airbus said in a
statement.
According to Airbus, the extra thrust together with an increased aircraft takeoff weight capability of 308 tones will enable airlines to fly the new A350-1000 approximately 400 nautical meters further
with a full load of 350 passengers, or a payload of 4.5 extra tones at a given range.
Typically accommodating with 350 seats, the long-haul A350-1000 has won 75 orders from four customers, Airbus said, adding that the
updated model can burn 25 percent less fuel than its nearest competitor.
According to local economic daily La Tribune, Airbus is also delaying service entry of the A350-800 with Qatar Airways in 2014 to mid-2016,
in addition to a possible postpone of the bigger A350- 900's first delivery.
However, in the statement announcing A350-1000's improved engines and delay one day ahead of the Paris International Air Show, Airbus said
the group "does not expect any impact on 2011 earnings," and forecast a demand over the next 20 years for around 5,800 new twin-aisle mid-size passenger aircraft.