June 1, 2026, © Leeham News: This is the fourth article in a series that will use Airbus’ history and present technology work to deduce how Airbus will develop its next new airliner. The company’s current statement is that this new aircraft, a single-aisle model that will replace the A320/A321 series, will begin deliveries to airlines in the latter part of the next decade.
We looked at the further developments of existing platforms in the last article to understand how much they would keep Airbus’ engineering capability sharp for the next new airplane. Now we examine the R&D Airbus has conducted on new technologies since the development of the last new airplane, the A350. Airbus often refers to this as their work on “Technobricks” to use for future airplanes.
Figure 1. RISE, an open rotor engine that forms part of the Airbus’ Technobricks. Source: CFM.