FedEx delivers Boeing a major win

Seattle Post-Inteligencer ^ | Wednesday, November 8, 2006 | JAMES WALLACE

[skeptoid]

Cargo company cancels order with Airbus

By JAMES WALLACE P-I AEROSPACE REPORTER

Airbus was rocked by a major defection in its A380 program Tuesday when cargo express giant FedEx switched to The Boeing Co. for large-capacity freighters.

It is the first time that any A380 customer has canceled an order because of a series of embarrassing delays at Airbus that have pushed the program back about two years.

FedEx said its decision to cancel firm orders for 10 A380 freighters, as well as 10 options, was the result of not being able to get its planes soon enough. FedEx was the launch customer for the A380 freighter and has long been a strong and vocal advocate of the plane.

[skeptoid]

FedEx gots tings ta do, mon.
Dey kaant be weytin' 'roun'!

[HAL9000]

This just in - South Korea decides to buy 4 AWACS planes from Boeing

[battlegearboat]

FedUp

[forrestroche]

The piece is incorrectly titled.

This was not a "major win" for Boeing, but rather a major loss for Airbus. Boeing will need to do more than count on the failures of it's rival if it wants to return to a position of dominance.

[skeptoid]

"Boeing will need to do more than count on the failures of it's rival .... "

Too true, and they are so doing.
My jaw goes slack when I ponder on the giant step of the 787 program.

[Brian Allen]

<< Boeing will need to do more than count on the failures of (airbus) .... >>

Yair.

For FedEx will now likely order from AV Roe or from Hawkers, Vickers (VC-80s?) or deHavillands, (Comet 44s, perhaps?) Douglas, Lockheed or McDonnell?

[cookcounty]

I worked for FedEx for 25 years and suspected all along that the A380 was ordered because Fred Smith just loves airplanes and wanted to see the behemoth fly.

No way it ever made sense for FedEx, the basic logistics of pulsing freight and lengthy load times just never added up.

[skeptoid]

I've never thought about that aspect.
And with the 2 deck heights, much larger fuselage diameter, etc. it could force changes in what has to be a highly refined and mature infrastructure.

[Gamecock]