Airbus unveils its superjumbo, European leaders hail lead over US

AFP ^

[Happy2BMe]

Airbus unveiled the world's biggest passenger jet in a glitzy ceremony in which the leaders of France, Britain, Germany and Spain hailed Europe's victory over the United States as the new king of the commercial skies.

The huge A380 superjumbo, which can carry up to 840 people on its two full decks, supersedes the ageing 747 by US rival Boeing as the biggest civilian aircraft ever made.

When it is put into service early next year, it will become the flagship of many airline fleets and offer unprecedented amenities on long-haul services, including, in some cases, gyms, bedrooms and bars.

For the countries which backed the 10.7-billion-euro (14-billion-dollar) development cost, the plane stood as a prominent symbol of European cooperation.

"Good old Europe has made this possible," German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder told a packed hall in Airbus's headquarters in Toulouse, southwest France.

That was a barely-veiled barb recalling the US dismissal of France, Germany and other EU states in 2003 as "Old Europe" because of their opposition to the war on Iraq.

Noel Forgeard, the French head of Airbus, made similar hints in his presentation of the A380 during a spectacle featuring computer graphics, atmospheric theme music and swirling colours.

"The European states -- so easily accused of weakness -- backed this fantastic challenge 35 years ago and have believed in the A380," he said.

The hubris on display was reinforced by recent figures showing that, for the second year running, Airbus has outsold Boeing and now holds some 57 percent of the world market for passenger aircraft.

The company, a majority owned subsidiary of the listed European Aerospace and Defence Company (with 20 percent in the hands of Britain's BAE Systems), forecasts that the A380 will extend that lead.

Thirteen airlines have already placed firm orders for 139 of the planes. Airbus calculates that by 2008 it will reach the break-even point of 250 A380s sold, and from that point it will turn out 35 of the aircraft per year to rising profits.

The catalogue price of the huge machine -- boasting a wingspan of 80 metres (262 feet), overall length of 73 metres (239 feet), height of 24 metres (79 feet) and maximum take-off weight of 560 tonnes -- is between 263 and 286 million dollars, though discounts are frequently applied.

French President Jacques Chirac called the project a "big success" and said: "We can, and we must, go further on this path of European construction so essential for growth and employment."

British Prime Minister Tony Blair said the plane was "the culmination of many years of hard work" and congratulated the workers across Europe who made it happen.

Spanish Prime Minister Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero said Europe was "unstoppable" when it pooled its efforts.

The plane, Zapatero said, "has turned this historic moment into a moment in which cooperation and globalisation are giving rise to more peace and justice."

The four EU leaders later lunched together, leaving industry VIPS to get close to the huge white plane sitting in its hangar.

Airline executives at the presentation were superlative in their praise, even though the A380 has yet to undergo test flights scheduled for March or April.

Richard Branson, the head of Britain's Virgin Atlantic, said his airline would pamper passengers on the six A380s ordered by including gyms, beauty parlours, bars -- and even casinos and double beds.

The last two features meant "you'll have at least two ways to get lucky on our flights," Branson joked.

The biggest buyer of the new plane is the Emirates airline, which has ordered 43. "The A380 will be the future of air travel," its chairman, Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al-Maktoum, said.

Airbus's success with the A380 is raising hackles at Boeing, which has won relatively little interest in its own new offering, a long-range mid-size plane called the 7E7 Dreamliner.

A bruising dispute over state subsidies between Boeing and Airbus is currently the subject of tense negotiations which, if they fail at the end of a three-month deadline, will blow up into a full-blown arbitration case at the World Trade Organisation.

[Steve_Seattle]

"Are you jealous? Do you wish Europe msiery and failur?"

My only problem with Airbus is that the heavy government subsidies make a mockery of the WTO fair trade rules. It's a cynical joke; the Europeans basically flipped us off and said, "We're going to play by different rules, and there's nothing you can do about it; screw you." That's their attitude. It's absolutely criminal.

[WOSG]

"Are you a commercial pilot?"
No, just an informed Freeper who can google.

The latest article I found on Boeing v Airbus:
http://www.thetravelinsider.info/2003/boeing4.htm

And this:

http://www.businessweek.com/magazine/content/02_47/b3809112.htm
"
Despite the fact that many execs are intrigued by the blended wing, Boeing doesn't seem to be listening to its customers. The plane maker made little effort to provide technical briefings on the blended-wing design. Some airlines have actually paid to fly in the BWB program director for an unofficial briefing--after which they invariably rave about what they heard. One enthusiastic customer even considered offering a billion dollars to help subsidize further development of the aircraft, industry sources say."

... if the A 380 succeeds, it will only be becaue Boeing gave them that market on a silver platter.

It would not be very risky for Boeing to now commit to a BWB large-passenger jet. Airbus has validated that there is some market. And a blended wing design would have massive improvements over A380, making it instantly obsolete with the first BWB off the line! But that would take boldness and vision, and Boeing seems to have misplaced theirs lately.

[neutrality]

Boeing has been given billions in tax breaks as well

[Michael81Dus]

I´m not that familiar with the subsidies, but on other threads on this topic, I saw that Boeing gets support from the US government, too. If it were such a big scandal, why haven´t the courts or parliaments in Europe taken action yet?

[Happy2BMe]

Good find - #179.

It will be a major competing airframe to U.S. aircraft industry - no two ways about it.

[Tempest]

Ahhh the power of subsidized industry.....

[ArGee]

Problem is, will Boeing see it that way? Apparently the main stumbling blocks to going ahead with the project is that most passengers would not have a window seat

I'd trade in a window seat for a nose camera with an image I can pipe to my seat back any day. Looking out the side isn't all that interesting to me.

Shalom.

[eno_]

Exactly, and I don't see airports lining up to accomodate this pregnant hog.

They are in Asia. But hey, if Boeing is content being a niche player...

Boeing is mistaken about this plane not having a market. Yes, Airbus needs to sell a buttload of these things to break even, but the Asian market is big enough to buy enough of them. The fact that Boeing is even being "sour grapes" about the A380 indicates weakness.

[Max Combined]

"Are you jealous?"

No, I am happy with my life here in America.

"Do you wish Europe msiery and failur?"

Misery? No, I do not wish misery on anyone. Failure, not in general, but I do hope this plane is a dud. Do you think that Europe is doomed to misery and failure if this plane is a dud?

My wife is from Europe, Holland, and we go over quite often to visit. We were over there this past summer and after visiting the family in Den Haag for a week or so, we rented a car, as we have before, and toured around a bit. Germany seems to be doing fine, I bought some knives at Solingen and enjoyed drinking your beer and eating your rye bread and wurst.

But this plane was developed by the Europeans to undercut our industry, not by a private company, and I do not want it to do well.

[1Old Pro]

But do the Euros know something about future fuel (abundant) fuel availability that we don't?

Doubtful.

[stinkerpot65]

I agree. Are Americans suddenly afraid of competition? What a bunch of whining wimps we have on this thread. Boeing better get off their butts and learn to compete and innovate.

[stinkerpot65]

Are you jealous? Do you wish Europe msiery and failur?

Apparently so. Is it the fault of Airbus that Boeing has not replaced the 747 in 35 years? Boeing has become fat and comlpacent.

[JesseJane]

Great pics. I have to admit, airplanes and flightsuits are very very high on my "hubba-hubba" list. B-52's though, are my favorite. But I digress ~~ ;)

[buwaya]

Exactly. The choke-point in many places is runway capacity.

Theres no room to build more runway in many popular destinations.

The big Airbus is a natural for these situations.

[Windcatcher]

"You lot are just jealous 'cos ours is BIGGER than yours!"

Um, no, actually. My father works at Boeing management. We've talked about this plane often, and to be honest, we're shaking our heads and wondering what you're thinking over there. I hate to say it (okay maybe I don't), but that's not where the bulk of the airline market is. The vast bulk of it is in the short-to-medium haul segment, hence the 777 and 7E7. Thare are some trans-oceanic routes that the A380 can fill (as well as cargo), but they are nothing compared to the market over land. In terms of flights flown, the vast majority are too short to demand such a plane, and this is why Boeing has already decided twice not to build a full-double-decker 747. Boeing isn't subsidized, so the name of the game is profits, and they stand to profit far more from getting a lock on the short-to-medium segment than a niche that will only see a trickle of sales once the initial orders have been filled.

[dfwgator]

Seems like Boeing is doing just fine with the 737, Southwest keeps ordering them, I see nothing wrong with their current models, it's not as if they aren't getting updated, they are up to the 737-700, Southwest just retired it's last 737-200. I think this is more a case of waiting for Airbus to be the first mouse and get caught in the trap, and then Boeing will make their move.

[RobRoy]

That would pretty much make sense since it is 30 year newer technology.

I contracted at boeing a couple of years ago. I was talking to some guys about Boeing not entering the "super jumbo" market and the general consensus was that there was not enough market for it.

This is a gamble for Airbus. It will be interesting if it pays off. They could also be setting themselves up for another "Hindenburg."

[buwaya]

Frequent international 747 passenger here. It doesn't take that long to unload.

The real 747 bottleneck is immigration and customs, because 747's are mainly used in international flights. Thats where the real lines and waiting are.

[RobRoy]

>> The fact that Boeing is even being "sour grapes" about the A380 indicates weakness.<<

Where are you seeing sour grapes? Boeing is forging ahead with designs they think will sell. They considered the behemoth and decided it was not feasable. They may have beer right or Airbus may be right. Time will most definitely tell who made the correct gamble here.