Airbus (AIB, Toulouse Blagnac) is evaluating stretched variants of the A220 and A350, although it has not disclosed when it could decide whether to launch either aircraft, Reuters reported.
Separately, Rolls-Royce chief executive Tufan Erginbilgic told journalists at the Farnborough International Airshow that he expects Airbus to finalise the design direction for an extended A350 within a year, Bloomberg reported.
Erginbilgic noted that Rolls-Royce, the sole engine supplier for the A350 family, would need six to seven years to develop a new engine if Airbus selects a design requiring a larger turbine.
The new aircraft would reportedly be a stretched version of the A350-1000. Airbus has not yet disclosed the model's proposed capacity, range, launch timetable, or entry-into-service target date.
A longer A220
The OEM is also considering a longer A220 variant. Should the proposed A220-500 launch, AirAsia (AK, Kuala Lumpur International) is expected to be among its first customers, having already expressed interest in options for 150 aircraft alongside its firm order for 150 A220-300s.
However, Airbus chief executive Guillaume Faury stated in April 2026 that the company is not close to launching either stretched aircraft.
Meanwhile, Airbus is considering significant production increases for the A350 to meet surging widebody demand. The manufacturer reaffirmed its target of delivering around 870 commercial aircraft in 2026, a 10% increase over 2025.
