Could be an interesting year ahead...

[SilverSeated]

Don't shoot the messenger, the opinion of one man but he does have a point...

http://www.standard.co.uk/business/jim-armitage-why-the-a380-will-be-a-white-elephant-a3537466.html

[glofish]

Big deal, i have said so since the first year of its operation.

But then all EK wundermanagers with all whale wunderpilots blamed me a silly, dreamy Boeing freak.

Without wanting to bring up the famous "i told you so", at least it shows that some common sense, basic physics and a bit of experience accumulated in the airline world bring someone not so far off the brutal reality.

But why did it take so long for the biggest part of the world?

[Monarch Man]

Because Glow, up until recently the decision making process has largely been down to opinion, Hubris, ideology and of course dogma.
The 380 is a fine machine, it does what it was designed to do superbly, it just so happens that the "Wundermanagers" thought they could reinvent the wheel yet again!
In service with EK our clever teams on the upper floors began to realise not so recently that the 380 is not as versatile as the boffins in TLS told them it was, from a profitability standpoint it is a one trick pony, that trick being fill it up and fly it to big, slot constrained hubs. If you remove the big, the slot constrained or the hub out of equation then it becomes a lot more of a challenge to turn a profit, there are some notable exceptions but by and large that's the reality.
We probably need a fleet of 60 or so, but ideology, hubris and dogma will mean there will be almost double that, I just hope by then it hasn't killed the host...because no one else wants them.

[Old King Coal]

Monarch Man: hubris (https://www.google.com/search?q=hubris) = spot on !

[A6EchoEchoUniform]

The A380 is a wonderful airplane, which is not only prestigious but also extremely sensible to operate in the right circumstances.

If we can keep loads >70% on the A380 routes, I think we're ok. On the routes that aren't able to sustain that load factor, they should be given to the B777, or eliminated entirely as the A380 just doesn't make sense.

[BigGeordie]

Boy's a genius, make him an SVP immediately! (Sarcasm level: High)

It has nothing to do with load factor and everything to do with yields. For months I was flying A380s to Europe with the premium cabins full of free upgrades from economy which was overbooked by 50 or 60. The aeroplane was very full but I'm sure no money was being made. Mercifully, this unique type of economics appears to have stopped now.

[Airbuspilot72]

Basically we have lost 8% this year.
No 3% step + 5% VAT


All my bags are packed,
I'm ready to go
I'm standing here outside your door
I hate to wake you up to say goodbye
But the dawn is breakin'
It's early morn
The taxi's waitin'
He's blowin' his horn

Already I have been CHEATED by EK
I could not even cry

So kiss my........ and smile for me
Tell me that you'll wait for more pilots like me

Hold your 3% and never let it go

I'm leavin' on an EK jet plane
I Don't know wheather I'll be back again

Oh, EK , I hate you so much

There's so many times EK has let us down

So many times played around

I tell you now, u don't mean a thing
Every place I go, I'll curse you so

So kiss my ...... and smile for me
I AM Leavin' on an EK plane

[Ekisnotthebest]

Basically we have lost 8% this year.
No 3% step + 5% VAT


All my bags are packed,
I'm ready to go
I'm standing here outside your door
I hate to wake you up to say goodbye
But the dawn is breakin'
It's early morn
The taxi's waitin'
He's blowin' his horn

Already I have been CHEATED by EK
I could not even cry

So kiss my........ and smile for me
Tell me that you'll wait for more pilots like me

Hold your 3% and never let it go

I'm leavin' on an EK jet plane
I Don't know wheather I'll be back again

Oh, EK , I hate you so much

There's so many times EK has let us down

So many times played around

I tell you now, u don't mean a thing
Every place I go, I'll curse you so

So kiss my ...... and smile for me
I AM Leavin' on an EK plane

Please leave. No humour, no intelligence, bad english and you absolutely ruined the song.

[The African Dude]

Sorry but (if only to make myself feel a little less bad) but I think it's worth pointing out that the 5% VAT isn't going to be applied unilaterally across the board.

However the cost of everything else will probably go up by 50% anyway so it doesn't matter :}

[Joker11]

Basically we have lost 8% this year.
No 3% step + 5% VAT


All my bags are packed,
I'm ready to go
I'm standing here outside your door
I hate to wake you up to say goodbye
But the dawn is breakin'
It's early morn
The taxi's waitin'
He's blowin' his horn

Already I have been CHEATED by EK
I could not even cry

So kiss my........ and smile for me
Tell me that you'll wait for more pilots like me

Hold your 3% and never let it go

I'm leavin' on an EK jet plane
I Don't know wheather I'll be back again

Oh, EK , I hate you so much

There's so many times EK has let us down

So many times played around

I tell you now, u don't mean a thing
Every place I go, I'll curse you so

So kiss my ...... and smile for me
I AM Leavin' on an EK plane

Love it! This will be in my head all day!

[Joker11]

Unpaid leave looks good...

Oh nevermind non-operational personal only.

[ironbutt57]

Airbus' very own 350 will kill it off...

[ironbutt57]

The A380 is a wonderful airplane, which is not only prestigious but also extremely sensible to operate in the right circumstances.

If we can keep loads >70% on the A380 routes, I think we're ok. On the routes that aren't able to sustain that load factor, they should be given to the B777, or eliminated entirely as the A380 just doesn't make sense.

kinda depends on what you are selling those seats for as well...huh? seen some crazy business class discounts to North America by all of the "Big-3" lately...

[P7xkk]

The A380 is a wonderful airplane, which is not only prestigious but also extremely sensible to operate in the right circumstances.

If we can keep loads >70% on the A380 routes, I think we're ok. On the routes that aren't able to sustain that load factor, they should be given to the B777, or eliminated entirely as the A380 just doesn't make sense.

So, to fully occupy the 120 odd a/c that will end up in the fleet, what shall we do? Double daily Dohas perhaps?
And no, you can't park them up for extended periods. Penalties dear boy, penalties. Unless of course the "owned" a/c are sacrificed. Hmmm.........