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Posted on 06/05/2006 5:08:30 PM PDT by Paleo Conservative
Airbus could lose its largest and most prominent A350 customer, Qatar Airways, because of its indecision over the aircraft’s configuration and the likelihood that it will adopt an all-new design.
The Qatari flag carrier – currently an all-Airbus operator – last year became the lead A350 customer when it announced at the Paris air show that it intended to order 60 of the twinjets for delivery from 2010 after an evaluation that included the rival Boeing 787. Although the airline later began to firm up the deal by signing a letter of intent for the 60 aircraft, it has held off signing a contract until Airbus finalises the aircraft’s performance and specification, says Qatar Airways chief executive Akbar Al Baker.
Confirmation by Airbus of its expected rethink would see the A330-based A350 design replaced by an all-new larger aircraft with a wider fuselage and larger wing.This would have an entry-into-service target up to two years later than previously planned.
“We are launch customer for an aircraft that, other than its model number, does not now exist. Qatar Airways is very unhappy about this,” says Al Baker. He questions how Airbus will “address this issue with A350 customers who have placed deposits”.
Airbus chief executive Gustav Humbert said at last week’s ILA show that the A350 timetable would “depend on the changes we do”. Referring to customers who have already signed up to the aircraft, he said: “If you will get a better aircraft than you have ordered, then you will be happy.”
Al Baker says that in light of the development, Qatar “might be forced to re-evaluate the 787 and could get preferential delivery dates from Boeing”. Qatar Airways’ repeated requests since selecting the A350 in June last year that Airbus should revise the design have been “vindicated” by the manufacturer’s expected U-turn, says Al Baker. “The trouble is, Airbus has lost a year.” He says he expects Airbus to be able to show him a firm specification for the new design “by early June”.
The new A350’s delayed in-service date gives Qatar Airways some capacity headaches, so it is discussing the acquisition of A330/A340s or Boeing 777-200LR/300ERs.
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I think I'm starting to actually feel sorry for Air bus...oops, it was just some trapped gas, I feel better now. Screw Airbus.
And it was Emirates Airways that sent rows of seats to Airbus that wouldn't fit in the A350 mockup that was the last straw in the redesign rethink. If Qatar and Emirates go Boeing, The A350 is DOA.
Here's some more up to date information at Bloomberg.com. I couldn't post an article from their site.
http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=10000085&sid=aVwvjf76.pUc&refer=europe
"Akbar Al Baker"
Must be one of those Muslim WASPs.(grin)
A top Boeing repair supervisor, now getting an MBA, told me how bad Airbus was, about a year ago. I enjoy hearing the bad news unfold for them.
Wanna bet that Qatar Airways will use it oil money to pay the financial penalty for dropping the A350 and end up buying 30-40 787-10's instead?
Considering they made deposits for one of the previous versions of the A350, couldn't Qatar Airways sue for breach of contract if Airbus tried to enforce the cancelation penalty?
Speaking of Boeing...I had the pleasure of getting to meet one of the people who worked on bringing the Boeing Model 314 out. He also spent some time with Pan Am as they brought them on line. He had some great stories.
One of my favorites was how he related the demise of the "Clipper" era, the end of the luxury flying boats. WWII brought an end to that golden era, with the advances in aviation and sudden emergence of airfields around the world...there was no longer a need for a long range aircraft (slow) that could land on water. He would laugh and tell me how liberated France, eager to regain their position in aviation design, set about building the largest, most eloquent flying boats ever built...ten years after they became obsolete. Of those that built most ended up in South America hauling freight, some even hauling ore. And today we have the Airbus 380...the largest, grandest, evolution of the same old design; nothing new, just supersized for the French ego.
You would think they'd have some sort of clause like that in the contract.
Come on Boeing Stock - UP UP UP I gotta a Disneyland trip to pay for.
airbus itself may be DOA.
Thanks for the story!
He is sort of..half Indian & half Qatari Arab.
Why isn't it splitting, do you suppose?
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