FLALEFTY wrote:Polot wrote:FLALEFTY wrote:I wonder if Airbus might make an attractive A319N offer to AA and UA, who both fly large A319CEO fleets? Both airlines have important hot/high/short runway markets that would benefit from the A319N's better airfield performance than the larger, A320N. Also, the A319N fits in with both airlines' existing A32X pilot pool & maintenance programs.
There is no reason for Airbus to make such an offer unless UA/AA are asking. I suspect they would much rather want to break the A220 into those airline’s fleets.
The A319N is built on the same line using the same production slot as the rest of the Neos, Airbus has no incentive to push lower margin A319s over higher margin A320s and A321s other than to boost fanboy egos over order totals. That doesn’t mean killing the variant though.
Both UA and AA have already selected their mid-sized, new-generation aircraft in the 150~180 seat class and those are the B737MAX8 (AA/UA) and MAX9 (UA). Airbus is getting the B757 replacements with these airlines selling them the 190~200-seat, A321NEO's & XLR's.
But the time is time is fast arriving when both UA and AA will need to address replacing their large A319 fleets (and in the case of UA, also the B737-700's). Going with the A220 may be the fashionable choice, but doing so would be adding a completely new type, which would require a new pilot pool, as well as new training and maintenance programs. It would also probably open up union negotiations over pay rates and pilot seniority status for the new type, which in turn could impact rates and seniority statuses for legacy types. AA and UA buying either the A319NEO or B737-7 would largely avoid these issues.
UAs strategy is to upgauge. Personally I'd love to see a UA (and AA for that matter) A220 order, but those used 73G order a few years ago makes me think they'll go with the MAX 7 is that time comes, which I'd be ok with since I have an affinity for the smaller frames in the 320 and 737 families.