Single Aisle Airliner Re-Engine Program

The headlines that will soon make news:

• China's COMAC selects the CFM International LEAP-X to power the C919, a new competitor to the A320 and 737NG
• Russia’s Irkut selects the PW P1000G Geared Turbo Fan for the 150-200 seat MS-21
• Airbus and Boeing launch re-engine programs for their A320 and 737 families
• A320RE and 737RE will push out replacement airplanes until late in the 2020 decade
• Airlines are increasing pressure on Airbus and Boeing to make RE decisions sooner than YE2010

The implications of these headlines: Airbus and Boeing are virtually certain to launch re-engining (RE) programs for the A320 and 737 families because customers are increasing pressure to provide dramatic Specific Fuel Consumption (SFC) improvements in the near term, preferably within the next five or six years. Airbus and Boeing now state that current generation single-aisle airplanes will be produced well into the 2020 decade. Cost overruns on the A380, A400M, 787 and 747-8 programs, with significant customer penalties, means neither Airbus nor Boeing can afford new airplane programs now.