Qantas & the A380, will it work?

[UP4014]

Not sure I see the business case for a 748.

The 388 seems appropriate for their LHR/US flights while the rest would seem more suited to a 789 or 350.

Unless ETOPS is an issue for JNB/SCL. Not really sure what to do about those.

The business case will be driven by the bankers and dollars, the operations department will make either the 380 or 747 work on said routes.

Matt

 

[maninblack]

Hard to see QF buying any more 4 engine aircraft now. As the song say's, "we won't get fooled again" or something like that!

 

[yohy?!]

380 works for core ulr QF routes like transpacific or kangaroo route. Unfortunately these are no longer rivers of gold with all the capacity dumping.

they seem to be moving to a fleet that leaves them with nothing to run any routes that are beyond the range and capacity of a 333 but below that of a 380.....789 has big shoes to fill but they have yet to confirm options and the program of the 787 appears to be one disaster after another so not reassuring.

Looking and more like poor fleet strategy will be a drag on profitability into the future. CX is probably a good comparison for fleet planning that is far more conservative but gives them a lot of flexibility.

 

[Flying Fox]

I see a QF future that only has the A380s and large twin engine aircraft.

I can conceive the possibility of B787-10s/-9s/-8s in their fleet. Alternatively A350-1000s/-900s.

I don't think that the B777s will make it into QF colours.

As much as I love the B747s, I believe their days are numbered.

 

[UP4014]

I'm sure there are some here like me who remember when QF was an all 747 airline.

Those were the days.

Matt​

 

[Deleted member]

Moreover worlds " largest " All 747 fleet if memory serves

 

[Nizar]

The A380s are the best planes to have flown in the skies, sorry Boeing fans

When you're largely an F flyer, which you are, bigger is always better

 

[lovetravellingoz]

The A380s are the best planes to have flown in the skies, sorry Boeing fans

I agree they are a great plane to fly.

But I guess the OPs question is more whether they are good for Qantas's profitability or not compared to other plane choices.

 

[maninblack]

Moreover worlds " largest " All 747 fleet if memory serves

Yep. Different times, pre LCC, pre EK/EH pre genuine competition from Asia. When dinosaurs ruled the earth.

 

[Himeno]

I see a QF future that only has the A380s and large twin engine aircraft.

I can conceive the possibility of B787-10s/-9s/-8s in their fleet. Alternatively A350-1000s/-900s.

I don't think that the B777s will make it into QF colours.

As much as I love the B747s, I believe their days are numbered.

So you think they'll be running A380s to Africa and South America? Unless CASA finally decides to allow beyond ETOPS 180 for Australian carriers, they can only run twins to Southern Africa and South America via longer, less efficient routes. (which is why VA pulled out of MEL-JNB)

 

[Aussie_flyer]

So you think they'll be running A380s to Africa and South America? Unless CASA finally decides to allow beyond ETOPS 180 for Australian carriers, they can only run twins to Southern Africa and South America via longer, less efficient routes. (which is why VA pulled out of MEL-JNB)

SCL i think does well. They are pushing the asia - south america market at the moment so i could see an A380 there. However I think casa will eventually guve etops 330 approval to Qantas anyway

 

[maninblack]

The won't buy 748's to hang on to JNB, maybe extra A380's or just fly the inefficient route but with more efficient aircraft, 787-9?

 

[Aussie_flyer]

The won't buy 748's to hang on to JNB, maybe extra A380's or just fly the inefficient route but with more efficient aircraft, 787-9?

The 787 has us faa approval to fly etops330... its up to casa to do the same here. Only a matter of time.

LAN is switching to 787 for syd-akl-scl soon

 

[medhead]

Agree 100%, although it's not just a case of building airports to handle it, they are going to run out of sky to place all these aircraft in.
A big problem is that where once airlines used to run a single 767 holding say 250 pax, they now run 4 regional aircraft each holding 60 pax. Yes it means that you have the 10:00am / 10:30 / 11:00 / 11:30 service rather than just the one 10:00am service, the reality is that there is only so many planes you can place in the sky.

They are attempting to combat this problem by introducing new systems which allow for much smaller separation distances, however there will be a time when physics just takes over.

The small regional aircraft factor could be addressed by true high speed rail in the case of Australia. How many Sydney slots could be saved by a quick train between Canberra, Sydney and Newcastle. Melbourne Sydney is less viable IMO, but still that is the 5th busiest airline route in the world.

No apologies for raising this old chestnut.

 

[hossein_au]

I see a QF future that only has the A380s and large twin engine aircraft.

I can conceive the possibility of B787-10s/-9s/-8s in their fleet. Alternatively A350-1000s/-900s.

I don't think that the B777s will make it into QF colours.

As much as I love the B747s, I believe their days are numbered.

I see a QF future when they are merely an online travel agent for Emirates. Oh wait...

 

[Himeno]

The small regional aircraft factor could be addressed by true high speed rail in the case of Australia. How many Sydney slots could be saved by a quick train between Canberra, Sydney and Newcastle. Melbourne Sydney is less viable IMO, but still that is the 5th busiest airline route in the world.

No apologies for raised this old chestnut.

The Canberra-Sydney or East Coast High Speed Rail is brought up every few years, as often as a 2nd Sydney airport is.
I doubt it will happen (unless someone gets China to build it...).
Until I see aircraft landing at Badgerys Creek, I doubt it will happen. They've been debating it with stops and starts for far too long for anything else to be believable.

 

[medhead]

The Canberra-Sydney or East Coast High Speed Rail is brought up every few years, as often as a 2nd Sydney airport is.
I doubt it will happen (unless someone gets China to build it...).
Until I see aircraft landing at Badgerys Creek, I doubt it will happen. They've been debating it with stops and starts for far too long for anything else to be believable.

Yes, this country and its leaders have a massive vision deficit. Saying it'll never happen doesn't really mean it's not a good idea.

 

[phill84]

Ahhh! So they can not take up the option, lose a relatively small sum but but not have to spend megabucks on a plane they don't really want.

An option is just a small payment to hold a delivery slot for a period of time. They have to decide by that time to convert the option to a firm order or lose it.

 

[moa999]

Yes, this country and its leaders have a massive vision deficit.

More so a population deficit. A new airport in Sydney and Melbourne is way way way cheaper than a real line. Airspace is free.

Unless oil does to the stratosphere (and at the moment it has fallen) then high speed rail has no chance

 

[Aussie_flyer]

Ahhh! So they can not take up the option, lose a relatively small sum but but not have to spend megabucks on a plane they don't really want.

Sure but the remaining 8 A380s are on order, not on option