A Seeming Airbus-Boeing Duopoly In Single-Aisle Airliners Masks A Tiered Market With Challengers

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The single aisle airliner market has been one of the most hotly contested segments in the aviation business in recent years. With the rise of low cost carriers, the heavy increase in air travel demand globally, and an increased focus on efficiency, single aisle airplanes have become the choice of most air carriers in the market. For the last 15 years, this market has been dominated by mainly two companies – Airbus and Boeing (NYSE:BA). More recently, however, a few companies from around the world have launched aircraft aimed at breaking the Airbus-Boeing duopoly. These aircraft have capacities of 150 to 200 passengers and ranges of up to 3,500 miles.  There is considerable activity as well in the next tier down for regional jets servicing 80 to 120 passengers and boasting lower ranges.

The Main Challengers

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Just last week, the Russian Irkut MC-21 made its mark as the latest challenger. Able to carry 150 to 212 passengers with a range of up to 3100 miles, the planes targets the sweet spot of the market for both the 737 and A320. The plane is in development and initial deliveries have been pushed into 2018. The key here, as has always been the case with Russian commercial aircraft, is whether the manufacturer can deliver the reliability and safety western carriers expect from Boeing and Airbus. We understand trends here have improved and suspect  Irkut has worked hard to overcome this reputation, one most associated with the Tupolev 154 (in which the President of Poland was killed in a plane crash).

Apart from the Russian aircraft, there’s recently been a wave of new aircraft entering the market, designed to threaten the Airbus 320 family and the Boeing 737 family. Let us take a closer look.

The Bombardier C-Series has got to be Boeing’s and Airbus’ main rival in the market. Via its Canadair and Dehavilland aircraft lines, Bombardier a major player in the market for regional jets and turbo-props. With the C-Series the company is targeting the market for larger aircraft, one dominated by the two aerospace giants. That said, one must mention that, thus far, the company has struggled to generate the level of sales as the 737 and the A320. But the C-series has definitely become a hit among critics for its advanced performance, fuel efficiency, and design.

At present, Bombardier manufactures two variants of the plane — the 133-seat CS100 and the 160-seat CS300. In the market, the C-Series is a direct competitor to the Boeing 737MAX7 and the Airbus A319neo. The aircraft, like the A320neo, is powered by a variant of Pratt & Whitney’s revolutionary geared turbofan engines – the PW1500G. The C-Series made its commercial debut in July this year and has bagged close to 300 orders thus far. Bombardier also offers the RJ family of airliners, scaling up from the RJ200, which carries 50 passengers. It is thus within a tier of smaller aircraft we will discuss presently.

The third competing aircraft is the Comac C919, which like the MC-21 is still in development. It has  passenger capacities ranging from 158 to 714 and a characteristic range.  Made by China’s Commercial Aircraft Company, it has been in development for the better part of a decade, with initial deliveries expected in 2018.

Smaller Airliners With Lower Capacities

The Boeing 737 and Airbus 320 are both mid-sized aircraft able to fly 150 to 180 passengers as far as 3,500 miles. Both, too, are the foundation members of a family of airliners scaling up towards their larger counterparts. In fact the A318 has a passenger capacity of 104 and solidly withing the lower tier of airliners having lower capacities and often shorter ranges. This tier is becoming increasingly competitive, as is seen in a review of the following aircraft.

Embraer E-Jet E2

With the aforementioned Bombardier, Embraer is tied for third place as an airliner manufacturer after Airbus and Boeing.  The company’s main contender is the second generation E Jet called the E2. At present, Embraer is marketing the E2 as a smaller alternative to the A319 and MAX7. The E2 comes in three different variants — the 88-seat E175-E2, the 106-seat E190-E2, and the 132-seat E195-E2. The aircraft is powered by two versions of Pratt & Whitney’s geared turbofan engines.

The project is on schedule as of now and has logged over 300 hours of flight-hours. The Embraer E-Jet E2 is slated to enter commercial service in 2018. At present, the company has managed to bag close to 270 orders for its latest jet.