Guillaume Faury, CEO of Airbus: “The airplane of the future could have a single large wing that integrates the passenger cabin”

Airbus is currently dealing with two technical issues related to its A320 family of aircraft, according to CEO Guillaume Faury in an interview with the German newspaper Bild. The company implemented a preventive safety measure following a software incident that occurred during an A320 flight, which led Airbus to prioritize inspections of potentially affected aircraft.

Faury emphasized that safety is a core responsibility for the company, noting that around five million passengers fly on Airbus aircraft every day. He stressed that safety is not a goal achieved once and for all, but an ongoing process that requires constant vigilance and learning from every incident.

The CEO also stated that Airbus expects to deliver around 790 aircraft in 2025, down from the 820 originally planned. This adjustment is due to the impact of issues identified in the A320 fuselage panels. Despite this change, the company has left its full-year financial guidance unchanged.

Global competition and European strategy

Faury also addressed the competitive landscape of the aerospace sector, which is no longer defined solely by the long-standing rivalry with Boeing. It now also includes the emergence of the Chinese manufacturer Comac with its C919 model. Airbus takes China’s ambitions seriously, as the country represents roughly 20 percent of the global market and the new Chinese aircraft will enjoy preferential access there.

He also discussed the geopolitical and economic shifts affecting the industry, including trade tensions between the United States and China, tariffs, and restrictions on the export of strategic raw materials such as rare earth elements. While acknowledging that these dynamics pose risks, Faury said Airbus responds by operating on a global scale and by innovating its products to offset potential cost disadvantages.

Airbus envisioning the aircraft of the future

As for what travelers can expect from aircraft in the future when they fly, the Airbus CEO says that “the cabin will be significantly more digitized.” Scenes on the back of seats will be fewer but it will be easier to connect personal devices.

Further down the road though, passengers can expect much bigger changes with the next generation of wide-body aircraft. “If we look 30 or 40 years ahead, we may see fundamental changes in aircraft architecture,” Faury shared with Bild. “Aircraft could then no longer have a fuselage with two wings, but rather one large wing in which the passenger cabin would be integrated.”

For those who enjoy looking out the window during a flight, they may be disappointed with this vision. “There would be no windows to the outside, but the aircraft would be significantly more efficient than today’s models,” he said.

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