en.Wedoany.com Reported - Airbus has stopped actively promoting the A319neo to airline customers, as sales of the smallest member of its original narrowbody family continue to languish.
Airbus confirmed to FlightGlobal that it would still build the A319neo (sold under the ACJ319neo brand in the VIP sector) if a customer requests it, but the manufacturer no longer includes it as an option for airlines in its commercial presentations. This shift became evident in a recent Airbus presentation showcasing its single-aisle product line, where the A319neo was absent from the lineup spanning the A220-100 to the A321neo.
The same presentation revealed the reasons for the model's marginalization. In the 100- to 160-seat market segment, data provided by Airbus shows the A319neo holds only a 3% market share, compared to 56% for the A220-100/300, 26% for Embraer's E-Jet E2 series, and 15% for the Boeing 737 Max 7.
The original A320 family included two smaller derivatives: the A318 and A319. The A318 was once popular but, due to engine development delays, ultimately only 80 units were delivered. Airbus did not include the A318 in its re-engining plan, but the A319 (which accumulated 1,486 orders, accounting for 18% of first-generation family sales) was developed into the A319neo. However, sales momentum after the re-engining weakened significantly: according to Airbus's order and delivery data as of the end of May, the A319neo has only 57 firm orders, less than 0.5% of all A320neo family orders.
Interest in the A319neo is limited outside of China, where orders from Chinese airlines account for more than half of the total, with only 14 aircraft remaining in the backlog. Airlines' preference for larger-seat models has steered sales toward the A320neo and especially the A321neo; additionally, Airbus's acquisition of the former Bombardier CSeries program (later renamed the A220) in 2018 has intensified competition for the A319neo. The A220-300 competes in the same market segment as the A319neo, with both classified as 120- to 150-seat aircraft.
Although the A319neo has a slightly longer range (3,700 nautical miles, approximately 6,850 kilometers, compared to 3,400 nautical miles for the A220-300), as a shortened version of the A320 baseline, its efficiency cannot match the optimized A220-300. Airbus insists it has not technically axed the A319neo (the model is produced on the same assembly line as its larger siblings), but by guiding customers away from placing additional orders, the manufacturer can free up production slots for its more popular single-aisle aircraft.
