Ask Boeing, Airbus, Gulfstream and Bombardier about the relative merits of their new, long-range business jets, and each can recite a litany of attributes. John Leahy, Airbus senior vice president for commercial, has come up with one benefit that his competitors can't match.

Because Airbus' corporate jet is based on a certified commercial aircraft-the A319-it can be easily be configured for airline use should the operator want to sell or lease the aircraft. The Boeing Business Jet can't because it is a one-off design that incorporates the fuselage of the 737-700 and the wing and landing gear of the 737-800.

"The unique advantage is that it is really an airliner, so that allows you-if you are a head of state or private company-to operate in a corporate configuration and then turn it back to airline use if you wanted to get out of the market," Leahy told Show News.

That gives the A319CJ (Corporate Jet) a "higher residual value" allowing operators to ride out the "boom and bust in the corporate jet market," according to Leahy. The aircraft shares cockpit commonality with the full line of Airbus jetliners: A319/A320/A321 and A330/A340.

Though Leahy would not name any A319CJ buyers, he said Airbus has 10 firm commitments for the aircraft. The only announced customer is the Kuwaiti conglomerate Mohamed Abdulmohsin Al Kharafi, whose A319CJ will be powered by International Aero Engines' V2527 engine. (The A319 is ETOPS approved for both CFM56-5 and IAE V2500 powerplants.) M.A. Al Kharafi's A319CJ will be configured to carry up to 30 passengers with a mixed layout for VIPs and guests.

Leahy said there will be no new sales announced at NBAA this week in Las Vegas. What he will discuss is a production line methodology Airbus is developing to satisfy both its airline customers who are waiting for delivery of 20 A319s and corporate operators waiting for a single A319CJ, for example.

Predictions peg the number of potential long-range business jets-the A319CJ, BBJ, Gulfstream V and Global Express-at about 600 over the next two decades. Though Airbus' orders are fourth in the four-company race, Leahy believes Airbus will make up ground in the coming years-particularly because the A319CJ's cabin is larger than all its competitors, including the BBJ, and because of its fly-by-wire flight control capabilities.

"We think there is a demand for 20-24 airline-class business jets per year," predicted Leahy. "Boeing thinks they'll take all of it, but we think we will take half that, which is the same rate in the commercial market in the competition between the 737 and A319."

Leahy said Airbus expects a "softening" in the worldwide market for airliners-most prevalent in Asia with the "potential" to spread worldwide-but he does not believe the company's projects for airline-sized corporate jets will be affected.

Airbus is displaying an A319CJ interior cabin mock-up at NBAA this year. The first A319CJ prototype is scheduled to roll off the assembly line later this year with first flight to follow shortly. First deliveries to customers are planned for mid-1999.

Launched in mid-1997, the Airbus Corporate Jetliner features carries more fuel and has more powerful engines than the A319 commercial airplane. It is designed to carry up to about 40 passengers up to 6,300 nmi, allowing nonstop flights between most cities. Its green price is about $35 million, comparable with the other corporate aircraft in its class.

Interior completions will be handled by Jet Aviation of Switzerland, Lufthansa Technik of Germany and Associated Air Center in the U.S. Customers will have the option of selecting from among six different cabin layouts, as well as 17 standard modules from which other configurations can be created. The simplest interior finishing begins at $4 million, and takes four to six months to complete.

By Barry Rosenberg