Airbus All-New Narrow-Body + Re-Engined A350
 

https://www.bloomberg.com/amp/news/articles/2018-11-21/airbus-reveals-plans-for-all-new-narrow-body-re-engined-a350

Airbus' answer to the Boeing NMA (757/767 replacement)?

More pressure on the Suits From Chicago not to invest in the 797.

Anyone get the feeling that if Boeing HQ was still in Seattle the prototype would be getting built by now.

Doesn't make much sense doesn't it? The A320neo familiy will be good to go for some time. Cheap, low risk and available at high rates now. New wing and you could stretch it forever.
The A350 is too big to be your next CFRP-767 (similar to the 787). Doing some neo out of the A350 doesn't make sense now.

Could Airbus just want to lure Boeing into giving up the MAX early with this headline? Might be considered a promising moment with all those MCAS-troubles.

To get back to the topic I think it would be wise fro AB (and any other manufacturer for that matter) to plan for that capacity in any new designs having a 10+ year time to market time horizon.

Airbus has alwas prefered to counter something that Boeing came out with before. Like adding some tiny more inches of fuselage diameter and all those little games. This is another reason I don't see Airbus meaning this serious. They will study everything in the background an be ready but this is not the moment they publicly hire big time for new "secret" programs.

What it could indicate however is a strategic move of the wing business to Spain...

Can't see Airbus wanting Boeing to drop the MAX: overall the A320 family is superior to the MAX and is gaining market share. I'm sure they'd rather this continued than Boeing launch a new narrowbody which would redress the balance.

A350 re-engining is confirmation of current studies for installing UltraFan as a major product upgrade in mid 20s. Obvious and logical thing to be considering. Unlikely another engine manufacturer would be considered - or would consider it - given installed RR base.

Airbus also need to give jobs to its engineers, the A350 was the last one to be certified. Countless number of jobs have been cut, especially in subsidiaries and subcontrators.

Personally I do not see Airbus investing in the new XWB. If it's not broken.. and they've 700 in the backlog.

Beefing up the A321XLR / A322 / Plus, what ever they'll name is, seems more likely / low risk.

https://cimg4.ibsrv.net/gimg/pprune....41db011272.jpg

I see talk of an A330Neo for regional operations, probably based on the shorter A338 fuselage.

It does seem over time that both manufacturers have a desperation to offer ever-extended range over the other, at the expense of the far more substantial middle market. Even these terms are being stretched, I've seen more than one account of current widebodies having "too much range", and thus not being efficient, for routes like London to New York (3,400 nm). Wing oversized, MTOW (on which charges are based) too much, etc. The proportion of pax who are travelling more than 7,000nm must be 1% or less of the total.

Wouldnt the CS300 fit this description?

WHBM
The first A330neo was recently delivered to TAP

from the Bloomberg article:
Uncomfortable reading for Rolls-Royce, I'd say.

Waiter! There's a fly on my fin!

Really. Why is that?
If you look at the reliability of the Trent XWB thus far you will see it is exceptional.

Pratt &Whitney has and still is having major problems with their GTF and GE decided not to offer an engine for the A350 so I don't think RR has much to worry about.

Isn't the whole idea of the A350Neo to offer it with the RR Ultrafan ?

Exactly that.

As R-R have had difficulties with theirs on the 78, it would be natural for suppliers and customers to worry that might spread.

Just be grateful it's not one of his artists impressions. :O