Airbus is moving closer to decisions on larger variants of both the A350 and A220 families as the manufacturer evaluates how to respond to demand at opposite ends of its commercial aircraft portfolio.
Lars Wagner, CEO of Airbus Commercial Aircraft, said there is customer demand for the proposed A350-2000 and A220-500, two aircraft that have been under consideration for several years but have yet to receive formal launch approval.
Speaking in an interview with Reuters, Wagner said decisions on the two projects could come early in Airbus' next five-year planning cycle.
Neither aircraft has been formally defined. The A350-2000 is expected to be a further stretch of the A350 family, targeting the market for aircraft carrying around 400 passengers, while the A220-500 would extend the smaller narrowbody family above the current A220-300.
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The comments provide one of the clearest indications that Airbus is preparing to decide whether to expand both product families rather than simply continuing to study the concepts.
A350 production could go beyond 12 per month
The potential A350-2000 decision comes as Airbus is also considering another increase in production of its largest commercial aircraft family.
The manufacturer is already targeting a rate of 12 A350s per month in 2028. Wagner said he expects Airbus will ultimately need to go beyond that level and that a decision on additional capacity could be presented to the company's board soon.
Such an increase would require additional industrial investment. Airbus' current A350 production infrastructure has capacity for approximately 12 to 13 aircraft per month, meaning a higher rate could require another assembly line.
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October 14, 2026
Demand for the widebody has strengthened as airlines replace older long-haul aircraft and expand international capacity. Airbus also offers the larger A350-1000 and is developing the A350F freighter.
A further stretch would extend the family above the A350-1000 and give Airbus another aircraft in the highest-capacity segment of the twin-engine widebody market.
Engine choice remains a question
The A350 family is currently powered exclusively by Rolls-Royce Trent XWB engines, but propulsion could become an important factor in deciding whether to launch the larger variant. Wagner declined to say whether Rolls-Royce would retain exclusivity on a possible A350-2000.
Airbus has reportedly approached GE Aerospace about a possible engine for the A350-2000. The US manufacturer already produces an engine in the required thrust class, the GE9X, which powers the rival Boeing 777X.
The engine requirement is particularly relevant for a stretched A350 because additional weight and capacity could require more thrust than existing versions.
Larger A220 also under consideration
At the other end of Airbus' range, the A220-500 would add a larger version above the 100- to 150-seat A220-100 and A220-300.
Airbus has repeatedly acknowledged airline interest in a stretched A220 but has prioritized improving the economics and production performance of the existing program before committing to another variant.
A larger version would move the A220 closer to the lower end of the A320neo family's market, potentially giving Airbus another option in the highly competitive single-aisle segment.
Wagner's comments indicate that Airbus now sees sufficient demand to consider the A220-500 alongside the A350-2000 as it prepares its next round of product and industrial decisions.
The manufacturer is simultaneously studying an eventual successor to the A320neo family. Wagner said Airbus continues to consider around 2030 as a possible timeframe for launching a new single-aisle program, although its timing will depend heavily on the availability of sufficiently mature propulsion technology.
