Qantas A380 Re Routed or Fallen Over
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Qantas A380 Re Routed or Fallen Over?
A number of Direct LAX services over the next two weeks have had the A380 replaced with 744s.
Are they sending 744s there because loads are light or because one of the A380s has fallen over.?
Or perhaps they are sending more A380s to Europe in lieu of the jumbos?
Any ideas?
Just intrigued
Are they sending 744s there because loads are light or because one of the A380s has fallen over.?
Or perhaps they are sending more A380s to Europe in lieu of the jumbos?
Any ideas?
Just intrigued
Last edited by Ka.Boom; 15th Jul 2009 at 12:19.
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Heard a rumour that the Airbus estimates of man-hours for maintenance checks on the A380 were underestimated by as much as a third.
Perhaps it is just taking longer to come out of the hangar than is possible to keep up to current schedules?
Any engineers care to confirm?
Perhaps it is just taking longer to come out of the hangar than is possible to keep up to current schedules?
Any engineers care to confirm?
Last edited by twiggs; 15th Jul 2009 at 05:35.
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Heard a rumour that the Airbus estimates of man-hours for maintenance checks on the A380 were underestimated by as much as a third.
QF engineering had to bid for the A380 maintenance contract suppossedly against other maintenance organisations. We asked who could handle such a task but received no answer. It is now confirmed that the A380 is indeed a very labour intensive aircraft, more so than Airbu$ had let on.
I am not sure how well the 380 teams are handling the current workload, but with 3 more aircraft on the way they will be struggling. I have been told that they are busy most days of the week, but not sure if there is a backlog of work developing. There recently was an EOI released for more positions on the 380 teams (within the last week). There are some people interested in moving across, but I doubt there will be enough ngineers when we have a fleet of over 20. Most ngineers that I know do not find the current A380 team structure very appealling for various reasons.
Last edited by Ngineer; 15th Jul 2009 at 06:17.
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Dixon's Lemon Legacy
Fuel burn rate higher than suggested.
Maintenance more labour intensive than suggested.
Something was lost in the French to English translation perhaps.
May be just another Dixon screw up
Maintenance more labour intensive than suggested.
Something was lost in the French to English translation perhaps.
May be just another Dixon screw up
Wod, I know that one was out of service for four days late last week for a windscreen change which caused a lot of issues on the Pacific route. Bookings had been based on the extra 140+ seats that the Dugong has so it's been difficult to get all the commercial pax out of LAX not to mention staff.
I haven't heard of any ongoing issues that would cause the substitutions next week.
I haven't heard of any ongoing issues that would cause the substitutions next week.
They are having extended ground time for fuel tank entry to clean the tanks and fuel quantity probes of microbial contamination. It seems this problem just wont go away,
Posted by Ngineer
A four day windscreen change?
A four day windscreen change?
All the other speculation posted here is simply that - the truth is #4 OQD is late again - the current three are fine - it's unfounded speculation and incorrect information regarding the Airbus.
The latest delay in delivery of #4 is because some dust got onto the fuselage prior to painting and resulted in a very sub standard finish which Qantas refused to accept. The paint is being stripped and then repainted but there is a bun-fight going on over who is going to pay for it.
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Oh C'Mon
What are the media going to say?
That the aircraft is crappe?
These media pieces are usually written in response to growing criticism of anything where politics and big business coincide.
The success of the Airbus A380 is paramount.
Many careers both political and corporate hinge on its success.
Only on noticeboards like PPrune will there be any criticism of this bird.
Read the preceding posts and it is obvious that all is not clockwork in the house of Airbus
That the aircraft is crappe?
These media pieces are usually written in response to growing criticism of anything where politics and big business coincide.
The success of the Airbus A380 is paramount.
Many careers both political and corporate hinge on its success.
Only on noticeboards like PPrune will there be any criticism of this bird.
Read the preceding posts and it is obvious that all is not clockwork in the house of Airbus
Last edited by Machinegun Fellatio; 16th Jul 2009 at 06:17.
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Is there a problem with the windscreens on the 380?
There was a inflight return out of LHR at the begining of the month with a windsceen defect with a 30 hour delay, or is this the same one?
There was a inflight return out of LHR at the begining of the month with a windsceen defect with a 30 hour delay, or is this the same one?
Toolman, I believe that this is the same one. The story I heard was that they were allowed to keep operating with the defect for a limited number of sectors so when the aircraft returned to SYD it was taken out of service for the change.
That said - the 747 remains a beaut, with a better look in the skies and proven to be one of the most successful airliners in aviation history - the A380 needs many years yet before it can assume such a tag...
The 747 is certainly one of the most successful airliners ever built because it was a commercial success for the operators and for the Boeing. It also changed the face of international airline travel making it affordable to the masses.
For the A380 to lift that mantle it needs to be commercially successful for the operators and Airbus. The A 380 is not the quantum step forward that the B747 was when it was introduced. It is too early to be sure it is going to be commercially successful for the operators though that looks likely, however on the current orders the A380 is a very very long way from being commercially successful for Airbus.
It could be argued that on the current sales figures the A380 would drive most manufacturers broke and only EU government support is/will stop that from happening. One might also argue "right aircraft wrong time" for the A380.
Who is to say how Boeing are going to fare with the 787 though in their favour they do have a rather large order book for the 787.
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Bigger is Not Better Now
The future of Aviation travel will require smaller faster longer range aircraft that will transport in the vicinity of 380 people.
The 787 will eventually develop into the aircraft that will fly LHR/SYD/ SYD/LHR non stop both ways.
Boeing have got it right
When times are commercially difficult(as now)trying to fill a large aircraft like the A380 means reducing fares and slashing yields.
The industry is both sensitive cyclical and labour intensive.A large aircraft that has high maintenance costs and has long off line time is damaging to an airlines bottom line.
Boeing has proved itself time and again with its aircraft.
The 787 has had its problems but it should prove to be more flexible( over medium and long distance routes) and less expensive to maintain.The airliner for the future.
It would be interesting to have this conversation in five years time when both aircraft types are bedded down.
The 787 will eventually develop into the aircraft that will fly LHR/SYD/ SYD/LHR non stop both ways.
Boeing have got it right
When times are commercially difficult(as now)trying to fill a large aircraft like the A380 means reducing fares and slashing yields.
The industry is both sensitive cyclical and labour intensive.A large aircraft that has high maintenance costs and has long off line time is damaging to an airlines bottom line.
Boeing has proved itself time and again with its aircraft.
The 787 has had its problems but it should prove to be more flexible( over medium and long distance routes) and less expensive to maintain.The airliner for the future.
It would be interesting to have this conversation in five years time when both aircraft types are bedded down.
Last edited by AlphaLord; 16th Jul 2009 at 11:09.