Article about A380 sales

[Jleno]

Bigger isn't better: Why the Airbus A380 superjumbo is struggling to take off

Interesting read. I'm a big fan of the A380s. It's a shame it's not selling well. I find the Dreamliner a little underwhelming.

 

[infinity]

Great Article

 

[moa999]

I think the other big question, is whether there is a market for used A380s, or whether they will have to effectively scrapped at the end of their life?

 

[Jleno]

I'm sure if it's cheap enough the low cost carriers will buy and add 30% more seats in!

 

[TomVexille]

I think the other big question, is whether there is a market for used A380s, or whether they will have to effectively scrapped at the end of their life?

And that's going to be the problem for the leasing companies when EK start returning them at the end of the leases.

 

[whatmeworry]

It would be a pity if the A380 became a modern day spruce goose.

"It's a commercial disaster," Aboulafia says. "Every conceivably bad idea that anyone's ever had about the aviation industry is embodied in this airplane."

We even had a mod posing with the FA's.

"This thing is so popular and during the course of a 14-hour flight it becomes even more popular," he says. "They all want to have their picture taken behind the bar with their arms around the girls," he says, referring to passengers posing with the flight attendants.

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[Deleted member 29185]

All opinions in that story and I'm no airline aficionado, but surely the market (if the predictions about future pax numbers are even remotely correct) will support both Airbus and Boeing models. Perhaps Airbus did jump a little too soon, but hub to hub does make sense to me and the airport congestion problems are all ready being experienced. 2030 is still a way away yet and Airbus seems to be positioning themselves pretty wisely with their range able to compete successfully across most routes. Look at Boeings 747....now over 40 years down the track and still a popular aircraft. I think the A380 will be similar unless Virgin Galactic materialise a cost efficient Concorde-like sub-orbital commercial airliner (which I assume is unlikely in the near future)!

 

[Jeffrey O'Neill]

I think Boeing has probably taken the better path for the future. There's is lower risk for airlines. They can provide higher frequency at similar seat costs to the A380 along with access to pretty much every every airport.

Possibly not so relevant to the why fly direct when you can go indirect crowd, but for the majority if the price is similar a direct flight will usually trump a flight via a hub with however many hours that adds to the trip.

If the 777-X meets the design criteria I think airbus is in trouble because the A350 doesn't seem capable of matching it. The 777-8X with 350 pax at more than 9,300 nautical miles (17,220 km) or the 777-9X with 400 pax at more than 8,200 nautical miles (15,185 km) seems to fit within a lot more routing options that the A380.

I'm a little biased I suppose, because the 777 is my fav plane. Roomier than the A330 and not as congested feeling when you has disembarking as a 747 or A380.