Airbus Shares New Wings of Tomorrow Details at FIA2026

FARNBOROUGH — Day two of the 2026 Farnborough International Airshow has proved fruitful for Airbus, with notable orders for widebodies and narrowbodies alike. However, orders aren’t the only thing they were pleased to announce.

Attended by the Wings of Tomorrow project leader, Sue Partridge, and the project’s technology leader, Richard MacPherson, Airbus was pleased to announce new details on its Wings of Tomorrow project, designed to finalize a design for their next-generation narrowbody aircraft, which is currently in development. 

Currently, there are three flying prototypes in development; one has been completed, another is in the manufacturing stage, and the third is unspecified. These were selected after ground testing proved promising.

All three designs integrate a folding wing, similar to the Boeing 777X program; however, this will be the first time the technology has been fitted to a narrowbody. The hope with this technology is that it will be able to provide an efficiency gain over previous generation aircraft of between 20 and 25% - equivalent to the gains of next generation engines in terms of fuel burn.

The desire for a folding wing design largely stems from the desire for greater lift. These wings will be made from carbon fiber composites, with no other materials being considered 

These new wings will be fitted onto an Airbus A321NEO and will all be tested over the next three years; the first is due to fly in the second half of 2027. The extensions will be between four and five meters, but will not be foldable. Instead, they will be called “cruise demonstrators”, showing data for the wing extensions in cruise positions only. 

Currently, there is no time frame for when the designs will be fully ready for production; however, Partridge and MacPherson both highlighted the need to “derisk” the design, meaning it's their job to get it right before they can even consider putting it into production.

In terms of certification, Airbus has walked hand in hand with EASA and their roughly 40 other partners on this project. They highlighted the desire to have a “menu of technologies” before the design is locked in.

This is one of many technologies that Airbus is working on for its next-generation single-aisle aircraft, with others including open-fan engine designs and advancements in sustainable aviation fuel. All this is meant to culminate in an aircraft that should enter into service in the late 2030’s. It aims to completely replace the A320NEO family and provide an approximately 30% efficiency gain overall.