Airbus targeting early 2015 service entry for A330 Regional

Airbus stated (13-Feb-2014) it is moving forward with development of the new A330 Regional - a lower-weight A330-300 variant for use on domestic and regional routes in high growth areas that include the Asia Pacific market. The aircraft will be optimised to seat up to 400 passengers in a two-class configuration on missions up to 3,200 nm. Airbus stated the aircraft will deliver cost savings through a reduced operational weight of around 200 tonnes and reduced thrust engines, forecasting an overall seat-mile cost reduction of 25% compared with today's long-range A330-300 variants. Since the announcement of the 'Regional' version in 2013, Airbus has been coordinating with engine manufacturers to deliver further maintenance cost reductions in order to meet optimal levels for regional services. The variant's certification is a key priority for Airbus in 2014, enabling an early 2015 service entry. [more - original PR]