Airbus A320 will attempt to stave off competition until 2025
| Brussels
Airbus says it has no plans to replace its A320 family of medium-range passenger jets before 2025 despite competition from new manufacturers.
Airbus senior Vice President Rainer Ohler said Tuesday that a new project costing about €10 billion ($13 billion) would not be justified unless it could offer a 25 percent increase in overall performance. He says new technologies needed to achieve this target are not available.
Airbus' rival Boeing Co. has been mulling the replacement of its 737 family — the best-selling airliner ever — while Airbus is developing the A350 long-range jet liner and A400M heavy military transport.
Airbus is still working on the newly introduced A380, the largest passenger jet in the world.
