A380 Revealed to Qantas and the World Latest News
From the Sunday Times (London)
January 23, 2005
Airbus gambles with performance targets
The A380, still a few tonnes overweight, has to beat the 747 on economics or pay airlines the difference in costs
TONY BLAIR was in no doubt. Nor were Jacques Chirac, Gerhard Schröder or José Luis Rodriguez Zapatero. The leaders of Britain, France, Germany and Spain were unanimous that Airbus’s new superjumbo, the A380, was the greatest plane ever made and a sure-fire commercial success.
But amid the high-tech hoopla and backslapping of the A380 unveiling ceremony in Toulouse last week, some of the plane maker’s executives were keeping their feet firmly on the ground.
They know that the aircraft has yet to fly, is overweight, and has to hit some strict performance targets for its customer airlines.
The first two obstacles are likely to be the least troublesome. Few doubt the aircraft will fly, although there is still uncertainty over the date of the first flight. Charles Champion, head of the A380 programme, said that Airbus intended to fly the A380 at the end of March but that, depending on progress on ground testing, it could slip into April.
The flight-test aircraft — the one revealed to the world last Tuesday — is, according to Airbus sources, between five and six tonnes overweight. Aerospace-industry experts noted that most new aircraft programmes had problems with weight, and said they were confident that Airbus would eventually be able to trim the weight off.
Sir Richard Branson, chairman of Virgin Atlantic, the only British airline to have bought the aircraft, said in Toulouse that Airbus had guaranteed to Virgin that the A380 would be more economical to operate than the 747-400, the largest passenger aircraft in service today. If it failed to hit the performance targets, Airbus would reimburse the difference, Branson said.
Airbus is likely to have struck similar deals with other airlines. Although the performance targets have not been made public, Airbus claims the A380 will cost at least 15% less to operate per passenger than the 747. A shortfall in performance could prove expensive for the European manufacturer.
In the meantime, Airbus is closing in on further sales of the giant plane. As revealed in last week’s Sunday Times, a multi-billion-dollar order from China Southern is expected within weeks. The Chinese deal would take Airbus past the 150 barrier for confirmed sales — the tally currently stands at 149 — against a claimed break-even target of 250.
British Airways has not ordered any of the aircraft, but its base, Heathrow, is likely to become the A380’s unofficial home. Nearly all the airlines represented at last week’s event said they planned to fly the aircraft into Heathrow to make the most of the airport’s scarce runway slots. Singapore Airlines will make the first commercial flights, expected to start in the middle of next year.
Toulouse also saw the start of jockeying by airlines to claim the most exotic or luxurious interiors for the A380. The aircraft can carry as many as 850 passengers, and was expected to operate with around 550.
But Singapore Airlines will operate its A380s with fewer than 500 seats, and Emirates, the biggest customer with 45 ordered, will have some with as few as 489. Air France will have 538 seats, of which only nine will be first class, while Qantas plans 501 and Qatar Airways 490. Not to be outdone, Branson has promised a gym, casino, beauty parlour and “lots more double beds”.
DJ737
January 23, 2005
Airbus gambles with performance targets
The A380, still a few tonnes overweight, has to beat the 747 on economics or pay airlines the difference in costs
TONY BLAIR was in no doubt. Nor were Jacques Chirac, Gerhard Schröder or José Luis Rodriguez Zapatero. The leaders of Britain, France, Germany and Spain were unanimous that Airbus’s new superjumbo, the A380, was the greatest plane ever made and a sure-fire commercial success.
But amid the high-tech hoopla and backslapping of the A380 unveiling ceremony in Toulouse last week, some of the plane maker’s executives were keeping their feet firmly on the ground.
They know that the aircraft has yet to fly, is overweight, and has to hit some strict performance targets for its customer airlines.
The first two obstacles are likely to be the least troublesome. Few doubt the aircraft will fly, although there is still uncertainty over the date of the first flight. Charles Champion, head of the A380 programme, said that Airbus intended to fly the A380 at the end of March but that, depending on progress on ground testing, it could slip into April.
The flight-test aircraft — the one revealed to the world last Tuesday — is, according to Airbus sources, between five and six tonnes overweight. Aerospace-industry experts noted that most new aircraft programmes had problems with weight, and said they were confident that Airbus would eventually be able to trim the weight off.
Sir Richard Branson, chairman of Virgin Atlantic, the only British airline to have bought the aircraft, said in Toulouse that Airbus had guaranteed to Virgin that the A380 would be more economical to operate than the 747-400, the largest passenger aircraft in service today. If it failed to hit the performance targets, Airbus would reimburse the difference, Branson said.
Airbus is likely to have struck similar deals with other airlines. Although the performance targets have not been made public, Airbus claims the A380 will cost at least 15% less to operate per passenger than the 747. A shortfall in performance could prove expensive for the European manufacturer.
In the meantime, Airbus is closing in on further sales of the giant plane. As revealed in last week’s Sunday Times, a multi-billion-dollar order from China Southern is expected within weeks. The Chinese deal would take Airbus past the 150 barrier for confirmed sales — the tally currently stands at 149 — against a claimed break-even target of 250.
British Airways has not ordered any of the aircraft, but its base, Heathrow, is likely to become the A380’s unofficial home. Nearly all the airlines represented at last week’s event said they planned to fly the aircraft into Heathrow to make the most of the airport’s scarce runway slots. Singapore Airlines will make the first commercial flights, expected to start in the middle of next year.
Toulouse also saw the start of jockeying by airlines to claim the most exotic or luxurious interiors for the A380. The aircraft can carry as many as 850 passengers, and was expected to operate with around 550.
But Singapore Airlines will operate its A380s with fewer than 500 seats, and Emirates, the biggest customer with 45 ordered, will have some with as few as 489. Air France will have 538 seats, of which only nine will be first class, while Qantas plans 501 and Qatar Airways 490. Not to be outdone, Branson has promised a gym, casino, beauty parlour and “lots more double beds”.
DJ737
