The A318 will lead the Airbus attack on the hot 100-seat market with 10% lower seat and trip costs than the Boeing 717, Airbus claims.

Essentially an A319 with 4.5 fuselage frames removed and a slightly smaller cargo door, the A318 will cost $36 million and offer several advantages over its less-expensive Boeing competitor, according to John Leahy, senior vice president commercial for the European aircraft manufacturing consortium. These include cockpit commonality with other transports in the Airbus line, a modern wing design, lower maintenance costs and about a 2-foot wider cabin.

More importantly, the A318 will be powered by a point-designed engine, the new PW6000 from Pratt & Whitney. The A318 is the launch customer for the new 16,000- to 23,000-pound-thrust engine. Thrust for the A318 will be in the top end of that range, according to Pratt senior marketing VP Robert Leduc.

Aircraft performance will be critical. Boeing's similarly sized 717, formerly the MD-95, made its first flight last week and should enter revenue service in about a year. An aggressive Bombardier in Canada is defining a slightly smaller, 90-seat transport tentatively called the BRJ-X. Although the Airbus A319 derivative requires minimal development time and investment, it still is not scheduled for first flight until late 2001 and entry into service in mid-2002. This schedule assumes program go-ahead by the Airbus board, planned for December.

Airbus salesman have meanwhile been given "authority to offer" the A318 and are now drumming up initial sales.

Airbus believes there are over 2,100 potential sales for transports in the 70- to 120-seat range over the next 20 years. About 1,000 of these are in the 100-seat area, Leahy said. He called the A318 "a natural" extension of the Airbus product line and predicted Airbus would win 100-seat sales comparable with the company's 50% share of the global large jet market. Although called a 100-seater, the A318 actually will accommodate 107- passengers in standard, two-class configuration, or 117 in an all-economy layout.

Technically speaking, the A318 is an A319 shortened by three fuselage frames behind the wing and 1.5 frames forward, Leahy said. The smaller-than-anticipated forward reduction (two frames were originally planned) is to allow adequate clearance between the cargo door and engine nacelle. The aircraft's cargo door also shrinks by 1.5 inches to a 49-inch width. Although this means the A318 will not be able to handle containerized freight, that type of cargo is unlikely for the transport's anticipated short-haul, quick-turn service.

The A318 tail also will be fitted with a slight dorsal fin for improved engine-out handling, Leahy said. Overall gross weight will be 59 metric tons or 131,000 pounds. Optional weight up to 68 metric tons is being studied. Range is 1,500 nmi in two-class configuration, with long-range versions capable of double that, Leahy said.

Although the aircraft will be significantly heavier than the 717, the additional cost of landing weight charges at expensive European and Asian airports will be offset by the A-318's lower operating costs, wider cabin, cockpit commonality, and the fuel efficiency and lower maintenance costs of its PW6000 engine, Leahy said.

By Paul Proctor