Airbus last week announced that the A350 was 2.2 tons heavier than target

Airbus has unveiled its production targets for the A350 XWB between 2013 and 2018: 18 units in 2013; 51 in 2014; 83 in 2015; 120 in 2016; and 143 in 2017. The programme will enter its industrial phase soon, with production of the first pieces at the beginning of 2009, and seems to be on schedule so far. Airbus last week announced that the A350 was 2.2 tons heavier than target, but ensured that performances will be maintained. Les Echos assesses that Airbus’s plans for 13 units per year in 2017 is ambitious. By comparison, the plane maker’s site in Colomiers –where the A350 will be assembled- currently rolls out eight A330- 340s per month. For its new programme, Airbus will implement a new production model based on what Boeing does in Seattle. Some 50% of the plane’s airframes will be built by suppliers. On the sales front, Airbus forecasts a market for 5,482 aircraft by 2026. In the 250- to 300-seat segment, the A350 competes with the Boeing 787. Airbus bets on an additional 1,600 units in the 350- to 400-seat segment, for which Boeing only proposes the 777. In order to boost its commercial chances, the plane maker also announced a mid-haul version of the A350 that will allow airline to reduce fuel costs on short flights. Les Echos