Airbus to test folding wings on A321neo in race for 2030 jet

Airbus will add four or five metre extensions to the wings of an A321neo aircraft to test folding wingtips in the second half of next year. Assembly of these extensions will begin shortly at the company’s factory in Broughton, north Wales. The European planemaker is using its A320 family, the bestselling commercial jet in history, as a testbed for the next generation of aircraft it plans to define by 2030.

Longer, thinner composite wings improve aerodynamics and significantly cut energy use, but they are too wide for existing airport gates that are already near full capacity. “The value of being able to fold the wings is huge,” said Sue Partridge, head of Airbus’s wing of tomorrow programme, at the Farnborough airshow. While Boeing already uses the technology on its widebody 777X, it has not yet been applied to the more lucrative single-aisle market where Boeing is alternatively exploring truss-braced wings.

Engine battle

Airbus has already determined its next aircraft will require heavy, large-diameter engines mounted on gull-shaped wings. The manufacturer must now decide between traditional covered engines or an "open fan" design with exposed blades.

This engine choice represents a pivotal moment for Europe's aerospace supply chain. Rolls-Royce is developing a narrowbody variant of its UltraFan engine specifically to break into the single-aisle market. The company’s chief executive, Tufan Erginbilgiç, told reporters at Farnborough that he has just two years to convince Airbus and Boeing to select his engines over American competitors.

Erginbilgiç is pressing the new UK government under Prime Minister Andy Burnham to subsidise the programme, arguing it is the “single biggest opportunity for the next 50 years” for UK economic growth and would “transform advanced manufacturing”. He noted that Chancellor John Healey, a former defence secretary, understands the sector's agenda. However, Erginbilgiç warned that the highly profitable company would look elsewhere if necessary: “We would like to do it in the UK because it is our origin. But we have other options.”

The lobbying underscores the immense economic stakes of the 2030 aircraft transition. Kevin Craven, chief executive of the ADS Group lobby organisation, called the upcoming engine decision “probably the most consequential decision in our industry,” placing direct pressure on Burnham to prioritise aerospace champions over domestic spending demands like social care.