Taildragger
I don't doubt the numbers you say; however you miss my point. I am not thinking only of BA, but all the mid-size carriers.
I didn't miss your point. Your point was the A380 would not sell in enough numbers. Now you are talking about mid size carriers. I was making the point that the large carriers will buy the thing in enough numbers. I have no doubt AirNZ, PIA etc won't....it is not an aeroplane for mid-size or US carriers who want to concentrate on point to point- that is another discussion. The big people mover carriers will buy it big time. JAL needed 550 seat 747s 20+ years ago. In a few years we will be looking at
stretched A380s- the design is begging for it. But the unique marketing and selling point of the A380 will be its size- just like the 747 which I couldn't wait to travel on and see.
And Aer Lingus had 747s for many years- I flew one of them, the famous 'PZ'. They could have gone for Trijets instead, but they didn't- eventually the A330 served its purposes better.
There seems to be a big problem with a lot of people unable to get their heads around this ratcheting-up in size in aviation. It's coming. It's needed. It was far more marked in 1971 when we went from 160-180 seat DC8s/B707s/VC10s to 350 seat 747s, just as the 1973 oil crisis and recession hit. Now we have a giant stirring in the Far East, the centre of this century's expansion- an enormous developing middle class who are starting to get cars and fridges- from the Gulf through to China. Next they are going to want to travel a bit and see the world as they get rapidly wealthier year by year. Western tourism is static under Governments overtaxing people to pay for their grandiose spending schemes. Much as I love the 747, having flown it for 18 years, it's not the aeroplane for the future. There is a place for 777/787/A350 point to point, but the big long range stuff is for A380. The 747 will make it great as freighters.