Airbus bid to revive planemaking hinges on best-selling A320

As Airbus picks its way through the most sweeping upheaval to ever hit the aircraft market, its progress will be measured through the A320 series narrow-body, the world’s best-selling jetliner. The planemaker, which slashed production rates by a third across its lineup Wednesday, reckons global airline fleets can absorb 40 of the workhorse A320neo and its variants each month. CEO Guillaume Faury has said the backlog of more than 6,000 A320 orders can serve as a “shock absorber” to cushion against the abrupt fall-off in demand caused by the coronavirus. “What will matter for us is the shape and speed of the recovery, in particular the single aisle in 2021 and beyond,” Faury said Wednesday. “Whether it’s a V-shaped recovery or an L-shaped recovery.” With long-distance flight demand likely to take longer to return, the market for single-aisle jets will probably recover faster than larger twin-aisles. In March, Airbus was able to deliver 30 A320-series planes, which are typically used for shorter hops within Europe, Asia and the US. The planemaker has also been selling long-distance variants that airlines could find useful when travel resumes, with longer routes facing less demand than before. Analysts say Airbus looks to be better positioned in the narrow-body marketplace than Boeing. The US company has yet to adjust its own production rate but is due to announce monthly order and delivery figures next week.<br/>