In 2030, The A320 Airframe Will Be Just about as old as the original 737 airframe is today. Perhaps that helps to explain Airbus's willingness to proceed with a simple re-engining program that leaves it vulnerable to an all-new Boeing design that could be available 4-5 years after the A320neo's planned service entry in 2016. It will be the ultimate sporty game of nerves and resources. The stakes are high, with Boeing estimating that the single-aisle market over the next 20 years covers 21,160 units valued at $ 1.68 trillion. Complicating the arithmetic is the fact that by 2030, competitive airframes very well may be on offer from China and Russia. And it is reasonable to assume that long before that occurs, Bombardier will have captured a share of the bottom of the market with its CSeries family.
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