Airbus could announce plans to overhaul the A350 at this summer’s Farnborough air show, according to reports out of Germany today.

Reuters http://today.reuters.com/news/articlenews.aspx?type=businessNews&storyid=2006-04-25T103019Z_01_FAB011518_RTRUKOC_0_US-TRANSPORT-AIRBUS.xml reports that the move could come because of airline pressure.

Key Quote: “Important Airbus customers including Singapore Airlines have criticized Airbus for not doing enough to make the A350 competitive with rival Boeing’s 787 Dreamliner, which has sold out the first three years of production.”

Agence France Presse notes http://www.defensenews.com/story.php?F=1729435&C=airwar that International Lease Finance Corp. has publicly flogged the A350 design — Steve Hazy, you no doubt recall, starting talking about A350 upgrades last month here in Everett. But Airbus chief Gustav Humbert defends his jet.

Key Quote: “‘We have an A350. It’s very good. I see no reason to bin it completely,’ he said, insisting that the changes were only ‘improvements’ suggested by clients.”

And clients have some pretty specific suggestions, the Associated Press reports. http://news.moneycentral.msn.com/provider/providerarticle.asp?feed=AP&Date=20060425&ID=5666419

Key Quote: “Airbus has been mulling alterations following criticism from executives including Chew Choon Seng, CEO of Singapore Airlines Ltd. Seng has said Airbus should have designed a new fuselage, having already gone to the trouble of designing a new wing, tail and cockpit.”

However, the Master of Sammamish — Leeham Co.’s Scott Hamilton — raised an interesting point last week on his Web site. http://www.leeham.net/filelib/ScottsColumn041806.pdf

Key Quote: “The industry watched in fascination as Leahy took a public shellacking over the A350, but the cynics in the industry — and the press — wonder whether this was a put-up job with Leahy and Hazy colluding to put public pressure on the reluctant bosses at Airbus and EADS to spend the money for a truly new airplane at a time when cash flow is tight. … We wouldn’t be surprised.”