How Boeing Lured Airbus Into Now-Busted A380

Forbes ^ | February 14, 2019 | Peter Cohan

[SunkenCiv]

It's an outcome that rival Boeing anticipated about 25 years ago when it outplayed Airbus with a brilliant bit of judo strategy (using Airbus's strength against itself), according to my 2008 book, You Can't Order Change: Lessons from Jim McNerney's Turnaround at Boeing... As the Journal reported, in 2000, Airbus bet over $10 billion on the 555-seat A380 because it wanted to replace Boeing's 50 year old 747 jumbo jet. The A380 went over budget due to development delays and while passengers liked the plane, airlines preferred Boeing's 787 Dreamliner or Airbus's A350... This A380 denouement was envisioned by Boeing's former CEO, James McNerney... he saw that mid-sized planes in the point-to-point airline segment -- pioneered by airlines like Southwest -- would be more profitable than the long-range, hub-segment which flew passengers to big airports and let them sit for hours waiting for their connecting flights...

Boeing was considering whether to develop a "growth version" of the 747... to 500 seats from 420 seats... Boeing proposed to Airbus that the two companies conduct a joint study to assess the market potential for a replacement version of the 747. Why Airbus agreed to this joint study is not clear... In any event, at the end of the joint study, Boeing concluded that the super jumbo market would be far smaller than Airbus did. According to John Walsh, of Walsh Aviation, an aerospace consulting firm, Boeing estimated that demand for super jumbo aircraft would amount to 250 units while Airbus thought the market would total 1,000. At McNerney's urging, Boeing remained focused on market for intermediate-sized jets, which proved to be the better bet... Boeing believed that Airbus's internal conflicts would slow down its response to Boeing's success with the 787 in the mid-range market.

[SunkenCiv]

The Airbus A380 is the largest passenger and most expensive airliner in the world. Last week, Airbus announced it will end production of the A380 in 2021.

How the once promising Airbus superjumbo went from airline status symbol to reject in just 10 years? Let’s take a look at the rise and fall of the A380 in this special documentary video.

The Airbus A380 will hold a special place in many aeroplane enthusiast’s hearts considering its status as the world’s largest passenger airline and its sophisticated, luxurious and spacious first class suites, complete even with an entire bathroom and shower. However, it is undeniable that this aeroplane did not successfully challenge the Boeing 747’s dominance in the long haul flight market, as was Airbus’s aim, and was something of a commercial failure – not only did delays in the development of the model cause much higher than projected development costs, but Airbus have admitted that they are unlikely to be able to recoup the full staggering 25 billion euro price tag on bringing this model to market. This video sheds light on went wrong for this giant of the aeroplane industry, the super jumbo jet.

The Airbus A380 was aimed at airlines operating from airports with high levels of aeroplane congestion. With its two deck layout with space enough theoretically for 853 passengers, it seemed like the perfect plane to aim at airlines performing long haul flights with limited timeframes during each day to take off to make for a convenient arrival time at the destination. Perhaps unsurprisingly, the airline Emirates was the biggest purchaser of this model of plane, as it seemed perfect for their business model which has always involved funnelling a large volume of flights through Abu Dhabi airport.

However, the 20th century, four engine design made the cost per seat for the airline very high and despite the extra money that customers were willing to pay to travel with increased room and comfort, and the promise by Airbus that these planes would be the answer to the highly time-slot constrained nature of major international airports such as London Heathrow, significant orders from airline giants such as British Airways never materialised.

Though the Dubai base of the Emirates airline became a swarm of A380’s, other major international hubs like Paris, Amsterdam and Istanbul were instead thriving on smaller aeroplanes, with Airbus’s smaller A350 emerging as the apparent major future workhorse for these airports.

Production of the A380 is set to cease in 2021, after the biggest customer for these super jumbo jets, Emirates, cancelled its most recent order for 39 of them but we can expect to see the Airbus A380 still touching down and taking off well in to the 2030’s, especially as airlines will want to get the most out of these expensive and large aeroplanes, which are not expected to have great second-hand value.

The Airbus A380 is evidence that, at least in the aviation industry, bigger is not always better but the aeroplane will still be forever cherished as that great and luxurious whale of the skies.

The Rise and Fall of the A380 | Sam Chui | Published on February 22, 2019

• Hunt Continues For Air France A380 Engine Fragments In Greenland
• How Airbus's A380 Went From Wonder to Blunder
• Jumbo Win for Boeing {no more A380}
• This Era In Commercial Aviation Is Coming To A Close(A380)
• End of the superjumbo: Airbus is giving up on the A380
• If Air France No Longer Wants The Airbus A380, Will Anyone?
• A decade after debut, first A380 jumbos to be broken up
• Airbus ready to phase out A380 if fails to win Emirates deal: sources
• Airbus' Big Bet to Save Its Dying A380 Super Jumbo: Winglets
• The jumbo jet faces a make or break year at Boeing, Airbus
• Airbus’s Flagship Plane May Be Too Big To Be Profitable (A380 ‘Super-Jumbo’)

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• U.S. Wins $7.5 Billion Award in Airbus Subsidies Case (Largest anywhere. Ever.)
• WTO rules in favor of US in Airbus dispute, paving way for tariffs.....(Winning!)
• World Trade Organization authorizes US Tariffs on $7.5 bil. in goods from EU over Airbus subsidies
• Massive $7.5B U.S. Award From WTO-Airbus Subsidy Case (trunc)
• US set to slap tariffs on EU following WTO Airbus ruling
• Airbus scoffs, Boeing crows as WTO slams EU for failing to address illegal subsidies
• Facts About Airbus Subsidies
• China's answer to Airbus, Boeing due to take off on Friday
• Russia Says Its New Commercial Airliner Is as Good as Any Boeing or Airbus
• China and Russia Join Forces to Build New Jumbo Jet

[EVO X]

“Why is the A380 difficult to convert to a cargo plane?”

Here is a somewhat lengthy video of a 747 that was converted to a cargo plane and then converted to a fire fighting plane. Cool stuff...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D-pC7XYHV7s

[SunkenCiv]

The A380 is an impressive aircraft, but why is it being cancelled? Check out this new video and discover where Airbus went wrong and why the A380 was cancelled earlier this year.

Thanks for checking out RealLifeLore2! The world is an amazing place that offers so much to explore. Join RLL2 as we dive into an array of interesting topics in the areas of Engineering, Science, Technology, and more.

Animations courtesy of Vincent de Langen.

Why was the Airbus A380 a Failure? | October 30, 2019 | RealLifeLore2

[SunkenCiv]

The future of Qatar Airways’ fleet of 10 A380s has been in doubt for some time. Speaking to Simple Flying at the end of May, Group CEO Akbar Al Baker admits that the purchase of these jets was perhaps the biggest mistake the airline has made.

Qatar Airways CEO: The Airbus A380 Was Our Biggest Mistake | June 28, 2021 | Simple Flying

[SunkenCiv]

There are frustrating updates surrounding the Boeing 777X within the Aviation Industry when it comes to the type being certified. Today I take a look at recent reporting from the Seattle Times and in addition Reuters with regards to information sent directly to Boeing from the Federal Aviation Administration.

Frustrating Boeing 777X News | June 28, 2021 | Dj's Aviation

[SunkenCiv]

Speaking to Simple Flying at the start of this month, Emirates President Sir Tim Clark commented that the Boeing 777X program is “in a state of disarray”. Clark made the comments when warning that Boeing may not deliver the first Emirates 777X until as late as 2025. The comments come the same week that rival CEO Akbar Al Baker of Qatar said he expects three 777Xs in 2023.

Emirates President: Boeing 777X Program 'In A State Of Disarray' | April 21, 2021 | Simple Flying

[SunkenCiv]

While the new Boeing 777X took its first flight in early 2020, the aircraft is not expected to enter service until 2023 – at the earliest. However, despite delays, it is one of the most anticipated new models in some time. With high capacity and efficient twin-engine operation, it promises a modern replacement for retiring 747s and serious competition for the A350.

But… What makes the 777X different from its predecessors? And what exactly have been the hold-ups keeping it from the skies?

Boeing 777X The New Twin-Engine Jumbo Coming Soon | July 15, 2021 | Long Haul by Simple Flying

Usually, the use of "game changer" or "game over" in these YT vids is annoying hyperbole.

[SunkenCiv]

Last week, I flew on an Emirates A380 from Los Angeles to Dubai. Emirates has re-introduced the A380 back to LA. This is currently the longest A380 flight in the world. I was able to experience 16 hours of luxury in Emirates First Class. But is this First Class experience worth the extra price?

LAX Bradley Terminal was very busy at check-in. I visited the Duty-Free shop and the Emirates Lounge, which have both now re-opened. I also had a quick tour at the new LAX West Bradley terminal before my flight boarding. There is a tunnel that links it to the original Bradley Terminal. A lot of domestic flights are also using the new Bradley extension. There are good windows for plane spotting opportunities at the new extension.

The Emirates A380 took off very heavy out of LAX. Flight time was 15 hours 30 minutes, with almost the entire flight being in daylight as we travelled over the North Pole. Emirates has launched new Bvlgari amenity kits onboard and I was able to check out both the male and female versions. I enjoyed my flight in my private suite with private dining and rest. I also used the Emirates First Class Shower and Spa, to have a shower in the sky to refresh me before landing in Dubai.

At the end of my flight, I share some good tips on how to upgrade to First Class on Emirates. I also make my conclusion.

World’s Longest A380 Flight in First Class - Is It Worth It? | August 14, 2021 | Sam Chui