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Airbus-Boeing rivalry over big twin jets resurfaces

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Debate recalls 777X launch with Gulf orders in 2013

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Boeing's ( BA ) 777X program faces years of heavy delays

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Larger twin-engine designs spark renewed interest

(Adds quotes, background)

By Tim Hepher

DUBAI, Nov 17 (Reuters) - Airbus is studying a

potential larger version of its A350 jet family, Christian

Scherer, CEO of its commercial planemaking business, said on

Monday as Dubai's Emirates ignited a fresh debate about larger

and more capable twin-engined jets.

The comments to Reuters came shortly after Boeing ( BA )

said it would study a potential stretched version of its delayed

777X aircraft family after selling 65 of its current largest

model to host carrier Emirates on day one of the Dubai Airshow.

Airbus has considered a larger version of its A350 series

before in order to counter Boeing's ( BA ) 400-seat 777-9, which is an

upgraded version of its longstanding 777 mini-jumbo. Both planes

have replaced the industry's iconic four-engine jumbos.

Industry sources say Airbus' idea for a bigger plane was

previously aired under the label A350-2000, at a time when

Boeing ( BA ) was already studying a potential 777-10X.

Asked whether Airbus was studying this again, Scherer said

"yes" and added: "A number of our customers are telling

us...please look at stretching it because it could be a

formidable solution for us as we grow, and that is what we are

looking at".

The drive overlaps with efforts to improve the A350-1000 for

Gulf conditions where engines show wear and tear more quickly.

Airbus failed to win sales of the A350-1000 to Emirates at

the previous Dubai Airshow in 2023, when the airline took issue

with the maintenance performance of its Rolls-Royce Trent XWB-97

engine and opted for the smaller, more widely used A350-900.

AIRBUS HAPPY WITH A350-1000

Rolls-Royce is investing in improvements to that

engine, leaving room to both address Emirates' concerns and

create space for potential growth, said Scherer, attending his

last show before retiring at end-year after decades at Airbus.

"We are very happy with the commercial performance of the

-1000. We haven't given up on Emirates," he told Reuters.

"Our customer Emirates has told us please show me what the

upgraded engine can do. We are about to do that, and then we

take the ball further."

Talk of larger twin-engined jets revives a fierce debate

between Airbus and Boeing ( BA ) more than a decade ago when the U.S.

planemaker was originally launching its 777X family at the same

show with huge Gulf orders in 2013. The 777X has since been

heavily delayed.

Airbus' largest twin-engined plane, the 350-seat-plus

A350-1000, is smaller but lighter and newer.

Boeing ( BA ) says the upgraded 777X will have unrivalled economics

thanks in part to its new GE9X engines and new carbon wings.

Airbus has said Boeing's ( BA ) economic argument relies in part on

squeezing in 40 more seats to counter the efficiency of the

lighter A350 by spreading the costs between more passengers.

Scherer said technology like the newer carbon-fibre airframe

of the A350 would be all the more effective on a bigger jet.

Airbus and Boeing ( BA ) duelled with paper designs for such large

models in a contest for potential orders from Singapore Airlines

in 2016, leaked at the time to aviation journalist Jon Ostrower.

"I suspect the GE9X would have more thrust potential than

the (Rolls-Royce) XWB and engines will be pivotal. Engines will

also be far better understood than they were in 2016," aviation

analyst Rob Morris said.