Production ramp-up and enhanced service package of A320 family aircraft targeted for 2010-end

16 May 2008

Airbus said it would like to get the certification of its enhanced service package for A320 family aircraft completed by the end of 2010. The programme, the Touluse, France-based manufacturer said, is currently at its "mid-life" stage.

Originally certified to operate for 48,000 cycles/60,000 flight hr., the A 320 family has an initial enhanced target of 60,000 cycles/120,000 hr. and a subsequent target of "as much as is economically feasible."

Airbus, which has an order backlog of 2,668 for the A320 family aircraft, was speaking to the media at the annual Technical Press Briefing held in Toulouse.

Airbus said that a retrofit would also be made available. It said that it spends more than €100 million ($154.6 million) each year on development engineering and upgrades for the A320 family.

Future initiatives include "Brake to Vacate" technology and more efficient taxiing (including electric taxi). It also has identified two tonnes of weight reduction, achievable through "simple modifications," it said.

It will also invest €270 million over the next two years in production rate increases for the aircraft. It currently assembles 34 aircraft a month, which it will increase to 38 by the end of 2009. By 2010 it hopes to produce 40 A320 family aircraft per month.