On Monday, on opening day at the Paris Air Show, Airbus revealed some new design features for the A380plus, now in development, while Boeing debuted its larger-capacity 737 Max 10. The “enhanced” A380plus will provide airlines with better economics and improved operational performance, Airbus officials said. New winglets and other aerodynamic refinements to the wing are expected to result in up to 4 percent reduction in fuel burn. These new winglets – shown for the first time on an A380 at the Paris Air Show – will be larger than the wingtips used today, but are designed to fit within existing airport structures worldwide.
An increase in takeoff weight of about 3 tons plus tweaks to the cabin design make it possible to add up 80 more seats, to 575 total, while maintaining the current range of 8,200 NM. In the cockpit, a new flight management system is offered. A modified maintenance calendar provides six extra days per year when the airplane can fly, producing about $27 million in added revenue, according to Airbus. The A380 is the world’s largest, most spacious airliner, Airbus says, with two full widebody decks. Every two minutes, on average — or 720 times a day — an A380 takes off or lands somewhere in the world.
Boeing announced the launch of the 737 Max 10 as the newest member of the 737 Max family. The 737 Max 10 will have the lowest seat-mile cost of any single-aisle airplane ever produced, Boeing said, delivering 5 percent lower trip costs and 5 percent lower seat-mile costs. Design changes for the 737 Max 10 include a fuselage stretch of 66 inches compared to the 737 Max 9, levered main landing gear and a modified wing to reduce low-speed drag. The airplane has the capacity to carry up to 230 passengers. The 737 Max continues to be the fastest-selling airplane in Boeing history, the company said, with more than 240 orders and commitments secured from more than 10 customers worldwide.
Boeing Max 10
