Airbus considers folding-wing technology for a future successor to the A320neo family technically challenging, as a narrowbody would need to fold and unfold its wingtips far more often than a long-haul aircraft such as the Boeing 777X. The concept could enable longer wings while preserving compatibility with existing airport gates and parking stands.
Sue Partridge, head of Airbus’s Wing of Tomorrow programme, described the challenge in an interview with Leeham News and Analysis at the Farnborough International Airshow. Airbus is studying longer, slimmer composite wings to reduce drag, fuel consumption and carbon dioxide emissions on a future single-aisle aircraft.
The manufacturer has begun developing an A321neo demonstrator with fixed wingtip extensions designed to replicate the size and shape of possible folding sections in flight. The aircraft is expected to enter flight testing after about three years of development. The test programme will assess the aerodynamic and handling effects of a wider span, rather than validate a production folding mechanism.
A production system would have to unlatch and fold after landing, then unfold, latch and lock before departure, potentially several times a day. Airbus has not decided whether movable control surfaces would be incorporated into the folding section. Partridge indicated that reliability would need to match the existing A320 fleet.
Airbus is targeting a possible A320neo successor in the second half of the 2030s, with a potential fuel-efficiency improvement of about 25–30% over the current generation. No firm launch or entry-into-service schedule has been set.