Overseas Aviation

“Our A321 is our “Middle of the Market” aircraft, and at up to 240 seats, it is doing a fantastic job,” continued Leahy. He saw no reason to extend the aircraft to an A322. “At 240 seats, all 18 inches wide, I see no reason to change things,” Leahy said. “At 80% market share, we own this market.”

Emirates (EK, Dubai Int'l) is considering narrowbody aircraft given their 'tighter cabins and fewer amenities' airline President Tim Clark has told CNN.

In an interview with Richard Quest, Clark said three studies had been submitted to the carrier for consideration. As such, over the next eighteen months, a decision will be made on whether to add aircraft such as the A320 from Airbus Industrie or the B737 from Boeing, combining that with an order for smaller widebody jets, or continuing to buy widebody aircraft exclusively, he said.

Coupled with Dubai World Central's greater terminal and gate capacity, the narrowbody jets could allow the carrier to develop thinner routes currently unsuited to its existing fleet of ninety-two A380-800s, ten B777-200(LR)s, ten B777-300s, and 128 B777-300(ER)s.

The Dubai-based carrier has yet to make a decision on whether to order the A350 or B787 given it axed an order for seventy A350s back in June 2014. Among the types under consideration are the A350-900/-1000 and the B787-9/-10.

"When the time is right we will decide," he said. "But so far, we are just biding our time to see which way it all pans out."

http://www.ch-aviation.com/portal/ne...wbody-capacity