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Orders show single-aisle challenge for new entrants

Order books since Airbus and Boeing launched re-engined versions highlight the challens manufacturers face trying to break into the single-aisle aircraft market, writes Clives Lewis.

The choice of manufacturers when buying a new narrowbody jet has gone from two to five in only a few years. Competitive airlines used to be able to choose either Airbus or Boeing, now they can also choose from Russian, Chinese and Canadian offerings, with new-generation engines and promises of improved operating efficiency.

Airbus and Boeing's reaction has been to offer versions of their narrowbody jets with new-generation engines. Although Boeing has other priorities ahead of creating a new narrowbody design, it is perhaps also true that new technologies which deliver enough benefit to justify a new narrowbody from Airbus or Boeing are unlikely to be ready until the latter half of the next decade.

Have their strategies paid off? Looking at order intake, it certainly appears so according to Flightglobal's ACAS database. Prior to the launch of the Bombardier CSeries, Airbus and Boeing each took about 50% of the net order intake for narrowbody jets. After a slow start from launch, in 2009 Bombardier took an 11.5% share of order intake from Boeing and Airbus. When the first orders were placed for the C919 and MS-21 in 2010, the share of new entrants rose to 13.4%.

Airbus fought back with its re-engined A320neo to take 65% of the net orders placed in 2011. Boeing has followed suit with the 737 Max, holding a 71% share so far in 2012.