Bloomburg reports that Airbus plans to increase spending to $12 billion, a 20% increase to develop the A350 jet. The current design is its sixth attempt to come up with serious competition for the 787 Dreamliner. Airbus is seriously behind in the A350 project, partially due to the problems with its A380 project.
With the 787 due for delivery in 2008 and with 402 orders for it already, Airbus couldn’t deliver an A350 until at least 2013. The Dreamliner is 50 percent carbon fiber to reduce weight. The designs for the A350 previously had only the wings as carbon fiber, but their latest proposal would increase the content to match the Dreamliner. Making a plane from carbon fiber makes it more costly to develop, as well as requiring new equipment and technology to build and assemble. It also makes damage more difficult to recognize and repair.
But while airlines are becoming more comfortable with the new technology…it means that Airbus is, unfortunately, in danger of being behind on technologies that will be in demand. The A380 is about 25% composites like carbon fiber.