HiFly
 

ACMI specialists Hi Fly to acquire two ex Singapore A380s

https://www.independent.co.uk/travel...mpression=true

Interesting to see what work they can pick up for A380s especially not every airport can handle them.

This deal has been a ''will they or won't they'' scenario that's been played out for the last few months and was looking more than likely not to materialise once Hi Fly recently ordered 9 A330-900 from Airbus.

I believe the deal breaker was regarding maintenance, Hi Fly wanted Airbus to be responsible for the A380's where as Airbus said otherwise, obviously a deal has been made in the last week for this to change for both parties concerned.

This deal is a good one for the A380 especially for it's second hand retail value and once everything is finalised we're eventually see a new operator of the aircraft gracing our skies.

I don't think it's a big issue, there are well over 200 approved diversion airfields for the big whale.

Manston, Doncaster, Stansted, Glasgow, Dublin, Shannon and Brussels are all compatible and approved by Airbus as A380 alternatives and which are closer than Madrid, for example. BA have already used Shannon ( G-XLEA ).

http://com.airbus-fenice.customers.a...ty_network.pdf

I feel Manston may present a slight problem these days!

Which airports in the Med can accommodate a 380? Seems ideal for the bulk transport of pax. Aren't they used in Asia for quite short flights?

Malta, Nice, Palma De Mallorca and Athens I assume.

My guess is they’ve already got someone lined up to have them I don’t think they’d have taken them without anyone in place to have them

My guess is they'll be re-fitted and deployed on the annual Hajj movements on behalf of ME or SE Asian carriers. Aside from that maybe moving pax for the cruise ship lines, large sporting events etc.

Big aircraft to keep busy year round but no doubt they have done their sums.

From another forum it says they will remain in SQ’s configuration

I remember many years ago an senior airline manager telling me only a matter of time until we see the A380 in charter airline config. I thought you jest you must be pulling my tickiling stick but there we go Hifly have one. No doubt when the 747 first flew similar convos had.

Yes according to Flight Global, the aircraft will remain in Singapore 3 class configuration.
https://www.flightglobal.com/news/ar...d-year-447342/

Mmmmm maybe a wet or damp lease back to SQ. Cheaper than SQ operating it themselves.

Is Lisbon equipped for the A380 or will they based else where?

Seen elsewhere online in the last few days a mock-up of the whale in PIA colours - maybe a deal already done?

Would be ideal for hajj charters, and a handy increase in capacity over the 77W

Looking at the Airbus website- appears no airport in Portugal handles an A380, however, Malta can & this is where some of the HiFly fleet are registered, so may well be based there.

As Wycome says the new PIA colour scheme has been circulated by various websites on an A380, of which PIA has none. Makes a good rumour ....

HiFly received the first A380 yesterday, they hired a few ex EK Captains who got fired from EK for incompetence, see Moscow and JFK incidents, the guy in Moscow was at 400 feet 8NM from touchdown and then did 2 go arounds, the JFK guy only one go around after the tower told him that he is way too low.

Any substance in the rumour of a wet lease to BA ?

transaero was mooting to get A380's before they went bust - Canary Islands LPA FUE and TFS from Scandinavia and Germany could be a good gig in their high season

SSH Sharm was high capacity for the Russians and other countries but that flush has been pulled on that resort after all the troubles and then Metrojet
Rhodes and Heraklion not possible for 380 Ops (OK 744)
and Larnaca is OK for 380

Palma and AGP Hmmn maybe ----

IBZ and ALC an A380 cannot get handling there but Condor Aer Lingus KLM and Sabena jumbo 747's were all regulars there in the old package holiday heydays of the 70's and BOAC 747's went to Palma every weekend so maybe these two might come on line later

VCE ATH FCO and BCN are all cruise ship destinations and Cunard currently use BA 767's with 262Y on charter for those trips