Airbus Wants to Seize the Skies From Boeing
The pandemic has only heightened the rivalry between the two companies, with the trend toward shorter trips and smaller planes favoring the European giant.
A computer simulation of Airbus’s hydrogen turboprop plane.
Photographer: Courtesy Airbus
Every morning, Airbus SE Chief Executive Officer Guillaume Faury scans global air traffic data before checking in with carriers, suppliers, and the leasing companies that keep aircraft deliveries ticking along, even during a time of unprecedented crisis.
Although the numbers make for grim reading, this meticulous approach has given Faury an unvarnished view of the aviation industry and the contours of life after the pandemic. This much is clear: Travel patterns have changed fundamentally, and so will aircraft requirements. The biggest planes serving long routes will be the last to return to the skies as carriers favor shorter trips with small aircraft that are nimble and fuel-efficient. Those trends could favor Airbus, which keeps expanding its popular A320 family of jetliners and is considering a hydrogen-powered model for smaller distances by 2035.