Posted on 03/15/2007 3:01:35 AM PDT by lowbuck
Emirates President Tim Clark told ATWOnline last week in Berlin that the operating costs of its A380 fleet will be higher than originally planned.
"There are still an extra six tons of weight we can't get out of the A380. That will cost us extra money in operation for the next 10 or 15 years," Clark said.
Emirates' 45 A380s, which constitute a $15 billion investment, each should generate $200 million for the airline annually. The weight issues are compounded by the money EK is losing because of the program's delay. "We will get our first A380 in August 2008, 21 months later then scheduled," Clark said. "By that time we should have had 18 A380s already in service, with each vehicle flying 15 hours a day and transporting 500-600 passengers. If you count that together, it is a lot of money." He did not estimate the expected costs of either the operational issues or the delay.
He did say that EK and Airbus are nearing a delay compensation agreement. He said a Boeing sales team was in Dubai about two weeks ago to discuss the 747-8 Intercontinental, which Clark said he likes but which would not be able to fulfill certain missions important to the carrier, like nonstop Dubai-Los Angeles service with 400 passengers and a full cargo payload. He also said Airbus will present its final A350 XWB version to EK next month.
With 45 units on order, if Emirates takes a powder then it is all over for the A380! As it is, I doubt they will ever make a dime on this project.
'"There are still an extra six tons of weight we can't get out of the A380. That will cost us extra money in operation for the next 10 or 15 years," Clark said.'
I think this is closer to the truth.
They haven't been able to meet the weight spec. The wiring issue is just a PR distraction.
"Clark said he likes but which would not be able to fulfill certain missions important to the carrier, like nonstop Dubai-Los Angeles service with 400 passengers and a full cargo payload."
like being able to carpet bomb LA is their hold up
Pity.
The A380 is a neat machine. So was the Concorde. But the Concorde didn't make economic sense, and it's looking like the 380 won't, either. I'd like to fly on one -- because it's a heavy airframe, making it impossible to pack in passengers like cattle, it'd be a nice ride, with enough room to stretch out and maybe even a lounge or duty-free shop on board. Some of Branson's plans even had an airborne casino on board.
I've done ATL--> LAX--> NRT --> BKK on an older-generation Northwest 747, and I can tell you that riding in that cattle car is no fun at all. After multiple delays, I was re-booked on ANA for the NRT-BKK leg of the run -- and let me tell ya, the difference between Noethwest and ANA wasn't night and day -- it was more like night and supernova.
Most of the passenger airlines that were early adopters of the A380 have been ones that put a premium on luxury and service -- Emirates, Singapore Air, Virgin Atlantic, and so on.
But as private planes and charters become more affordable, you have to wonder if there's a sustainable superluxury airliner market. There wasn't enough for the Concorde. And it's increasingly looking like there isn't enough for the A380.
Who cares? By the time the 380 is ready LA will be part of Mexico.
Disclaimer: To the doom and gloomers and other assorted whackjobs this is what is known as a joke. I don't believe LA will become part of Mexico or that Dubai wants to carpet bomb it.
Right on. Wiring can be fixed much more quickly than they are taking. Weight however, that's a real problem.
Perhaps they should try replacing aluminum with a light weight material like balsa wood.
They've still gotta go through customs, but the workaday hassles, not so much.
My rule of thumb used to be that I wouldn't fly anywhere in two hours -- more like four, of you count the ground searches and the backups and the uncertainty -- that I couldn't drive in eight.
I live in Atlanta. My grandma lives in Orlando. I can get there in about six hours. If I had a GA license, I could get there in about two. Either is faster than the airport hassle, by the time I get through parking and screening and check-in.
I just passed through LAX the other day and had a good look at the runway expansion there for the 380. That's got to cost millions, not to mention the taxiway and jet way upgrades necessary to handle the thing. Emirates won't be the only company or govt pissed if this thing doesn't fly. I foresee a lot of lawsuits if Airbus doesn't get it together.
The old BA144 was a heavy aircraft, so they compensated, for a while, by making the distance between seats larger, and having more first class.
When price of fuel went up, that was no longer economical. A lot are stored in Mojave Airport, out in the desert.
I've done JFK-NRT (14 hours) on a 777 and LAX-SYD (15 hours) on a 747-400 and I was pretty pleased both times.Granted,you're jet lagged out of your mind when you arrive (particularly to SYD...my journey started in Hartford) but....
this topic wings a bell...
Sales of A380 not taking off
Chicago Tribune | March 18, 2007 | JULIE JOHNSSON
Posted on 03/18/2007 1:51:31 PM EDT by Excuse_My_Bellicosity
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/1802839/posts
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