Airbus to offer longer range A330 with increased payload

Airbus has decided to offer a further enhanced version of the popular A330 airliner by increasing the maximum takeoff weight capability to 240 metric tons.

The 240 ton capability will be first applied to the larger A330-300 model and subsequently to the A330-200 and A330-200F.

The 240 ton A330-300 will benefit from up to 400nm extra range – to 5,950nm (11,020km) – with 300 passengers and carry nearly five tons more payload than today’s 235 ton aircraft.

Meanwhile, the new 240 ton A330-200 will fly up to 270nm further – to 7,050nm (13,060km) – with 246 passengers and carry over 2.5 tons more payload than today’s 238 ton A330-200. The two models will also bring increased fuel efficiency thanks to aerodynamic refinements and engine enhancements.  Entry into service of the 240 ton A330-300 is aimed for mid 2015. In practical terms 240 ton capability significantly extends the market coverage of the A330 Family. For example, this newest A330-300 will now be able to connect to the following new city pairs: London to Tokyo; Frankfurt to Cape Town; Beijing to Melbourne; Beijing to San Francisco; Kuala Lumpur to Paris; and Los Angeles to Dublin. Moreover, compared with the original 212 ton A330-300 in 1992, the 240 ton A330-300 can fly 2,000nm (3,700km) further and now cover 90% of the market from Heathrow – up 51% from 39% market coverage at original EIS.

“The A330 has come a long way in the last 10 years, and we are delighted to bring to more airlines the advantages and reliability of A330 economics over ever wider markets,” said John Leahy, Chief Operating Officer Customers of Airbus. “This aircraft is the most popular aircraft ever in its category and looks set to hold this position for years to come.”

A key advantage of 240 ton capability is that the increase in range allows the A330-300 to cover more of the A330-200 network, this gives airlines the flexibility to use the A330-200 to open new routes and grow frequency whilst using the A330-300 to grow capacity at low cost.

The A330 Family, which spans 250 to 300 seats, and includes Freighter, VIP, and Military Transport/Tanker variants, has now attracted around 1,200 orders and some 900 aircraft are flying with over 90 operators worldwide.