Airbus is working on a dramatic redesign of its planned A350 long-range widebody twin that is aimed at an all-new aircraft family capable of leapfrogging the rival Boeing 787 as well as the 777, Flight International reveals in this week’s issue.

Airbus went back to the drawing board on the A350 after vocal criticism from key customers such as International Lease Finance, and is expected to reveal details of the initiative in July.

The new family is expected to comprise three versions, the A350-800, -900 and -1000. Key design changes from the earlier A350 include a wider fuselage cross-section, larger all-composite wing, higher Mach 0.85 cruise speed and more powerful engines in the 85,000-90,000lb (380-400kN) thrust class.

The -800 is aimed at the 787-3/8/9 and will continue to be billed as Airbus’s A330-200 replacement. The -900 is similarly aimed at the 777-200ER and 787-10, while the -1000, with seating for around 350, will for the first time give Airbus a very large twin with the range and similar payload capability of the 777-300ER.

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