A380 retired
Join Date: Jul 2006
Location: Milton Keynes-on-sea
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Wiggy,
A bit of both really. There are plenty of structural issues and repairs on the older a/c that are expensive to rectify on a D check. Also the avionics and IFE updates and Wifi fits to consider as well.
A bit of both really. There are plenty of structural issues and repairs on the older a/c that are expensive to rectify on a D check. Also the avionics and IFE updates and Wifi fits to consider as well.
falcon
OK, fair enough.
Dockwell
TBF that story does the rounds within BA itself every X months where X is usually < 6 months.. oddly enough it usually seems to start from with the 380 community itself, can't think why and usually the preamble is "Willie says if he could get a good deal....." . That said I'm a great believer in "never say never" and I'm sure he wouldn't turn down a good deal for IAG if he could get one, so who knows.
tdracer
I also heard another issue with the potential or lack of for the 380 as a freight/combi was the main deck floor strength...do you have an informed opinion on that?
OK, fair enough.
Dockwell
Seems BA may be looking at the Singapore 380s as well
tdracer
I also heard another issue with the potential or lack of for the 380 as a freight/combi was the main deck floor strength...do you have an informed opinion on that?
I also heard another issue with the potential or lack of for the 380 as a freight/combi was the main deck floor strength...do you have an informed opinion on that?
Strengthening the main deck floor is pretty common when doing a freighter conversion but perhaps the large diameter of the A380 makes that a bigger problem.
I know that the early A380s were heavier than aircraft built later and also inferior in some other respects. I don't know how significant this is or if it was a major factor.
Nemo Me Impune Lacessit
Join Date: Jun 2004
Location: Derbyshire, England.
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It seems a shame to see such an amazing aircraft retire. Surely it could be converted into a freighter? Just think how much more cargo she could take compared to a MD11 / 747. Perhaps even a military version? How many more troops she could accomodate compared to an A330 or 767.
All as said before, unlike the B747, originally built as a freighter, the A380 had weight problems from the start and its floors are simply not strong enough to convert it to a viable freighter, it is a pax aircraft, pure and simple.
Flew for an airline that took one of the test B767-300ER airframes, talking to the engineers it was a bit of a nightmare at times because it still had miles of wiring looms that had been used for tests but simply disconnected rather than be removed, all accounted for in the sale price. Made a difference to the weight and balance too.