It’s a fact that the 380 burns more fuel per kg transported, it takes a second grader to figure that out. The stipulation that its yield however is higher, is hard to follow up for us, as only the company can put together the entire cost. Now if you believe anything the company says, good on you!
The debate among us about the performance of the 380 is therefore somewhat futile, however where there is smoke, there is fire. Mechanics moan about the reliabilty of the whale, but what do they know … company statistics show it on par with the others. Station managers would prefer T7’s (ask them down under), more freight, less costly upgrades, but what do they know, they’re only here to reiterate his masters voice with no own say, but all the blame to take when numbers talk the opposite (LHR). Pilots compare flight plans, but what do they know, they need head wobbling and untrained office clerks to compose statcon fuel because they are considered uncapable of making sound fuel decisions.
So let’s believe the company song about the 380.
As I often said, it would have its range of operation, it's a fascinating flying piece of metal. If it could fly the subcontinental and far eastern trunk routes, with a high capacity configuration, we would talk business. But the configuration EK chose is not adapted to actual passenger wallet-behaviour, the routes actually flown not exactly suited to its performance.
Maybe the increase in passenger numbers allowes more routes for the hub, maybe it attracts more passengers. It might even increase the tourism revenue of the emirate, generate more duty free sales, more revenue for Dnata and allowes a greater footprint of the company worldwide (at least on carbon).
Maybe looking at the whole picture, it might be a good thing for the big M. But looking at the microcosm that concerns me as a pilot, it is not, because the small entity called flight operations has become more expensive and less profitable, therefore our income will be adapted to make numbers stick.
That’s why I don’t like the whale and not because it’s ugly and I don’t fly it and other guys do. If they want to defend it because they like it, then let’s continue the funny mudslinging, pilots always do that, it’s normal, fun and inoffensive. But if some of us pretend that it costs us income and such a statement is hard to prove, then simply accept that it’s just as hard to prove the opposite.
But again: where there’s smoke, there’s fire and just as a sideline, there’s no smoke with 330’ies and T7’s, but there was a lot with the initially highly praised 340’ies and now the even more praised whale. What does that tell us?