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Excellent read.
PARIS AIR SHOW: Yesterday's heroes - what next for A340 and 777 Classic?
By Max Kingsley-Jones
Two decades ago, Airbus launched the A330/A340 as a family of twin- and quadjets to tackle the sector above and beyond its existing A300/A310 models in size and range.
Although the aircraft were originally pitched mainly against the then McDonnell Douglas MD-11 in the market to replace DC-10 and Lockheed L-1011 trijets, Airbus knew that it would soon face competition from Boeing. But when the US airframer did retaliate, it was not with a 767 derivative as Airbus had expected, but with an all-new "big-twin" in the form of the 777.
And while this aircraft has gone on to become the undisputed benchmark long-range widebody (except perhaps in Toulouse), Airbus has found a gem in its A330. The twinjet's renaissance - despite the threat of being killed off by the 787 - was confirmed last year when it was the best-selling widebody on the way to accumulating its highest-ever backlog. At more than 410 aircraft, this represents in excess of five years of production.
http://www.flightglobal.com/articles...7-classic.html
By Max Kingsley-Jones
Two decades ago, Airbus launched the A330/A340 as a family of twin- and quadjets to tackle the sector above and beyond its existing A300/A310 models in size and range.
Although the aircraft were originally pitched mainly against the then McDonnell Douglas MD-11 in the market to replace DC-10 and Lockheed L-1011 trijets, Airbus knew that it would soon face competition from Boeing. But when the US airframer did retaliate, it was not with a 767 derivative as Airbus had expected, but with an all-new "big-twin" in the form of the 777.
And while this aircraft has gone on to become the undisputed benchmark long-range widebody (except perhaps in Toulouse), Airbus has found a gem in its A330. The twinjet's renaissance - despite the threat of being killed off by the 787 - was confirmed last year when it was the best-selling widebody on the way to accumulating its highest-ever backlog. At more than 410 aircraft, this represents in excess of five years of production.
http://www.flightglobal.com/articles...7-classic.html
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