Is the 747 on its last legs?

[drewbles]

See how you like it when Ryannair and Jetstar are the only 2 airlines flying the A380 in an all economy config.

At least the 747 is going out with some sort of dignity....

Fortunately, the A380 will never see regular RPT short haul in any mainstream kind of way. The economics are simply not there. Carriers are going to use 737's or A320's for high frequency short haul. It's cheaper to jam more people onto single aisle than widebody double deckers.

 

[mannej]

See how you like it when Ryannair and Jetstar are the only 2 airlines flying the A380 in an all economy config.

At least the 747 is going out with some sort of dignity....

I honestly don't think you will ever see that occur. More chance of hell freezing over

 

[JohnK]

I honestly don't think you will ever see that occur. More chance of hell freezing over

Where do you think the QF A380's are going to go when QFi winds up operations in the near future?

 

[drewbles]

Where do you think the QF A380's are going to go when QFi winds up operations in the near future?

To EK of course. QFi would just be absorbed Ito EK.

 

[mannej]

Where do you think the QF A380's are going to go when QFi winds up operations in the near future?

It won't be JQ. If JQ can't make services on the 330 work what chance do they have with the 380?

 

[JohnK]

To EK of course. QFi would just be absorbed Ito EK.

I am not convinced the Australian governent is going to allow that one to happen.

 

[drewbles]

I am not convinced the Australian governent is going to allow that one to happen.

I didn't mean on paper, I more meant the capacity would just go to EK (with the exception of trans pac, that would just see DL and UA ramp up, and who knows, maybe AA makes a return!).

 

[JohnK]

It won't be JQ. If JQ can't make services on the 330 work what chance do they have with the 380?

Really? I get the impression most on AFF believe JQ is successful and I am one of the only ones that keeps paying out on JQ.

 

[mannej]

Really? I get the impression most on AFF believe JQ is successful and I am one of the only ones that keeps paying out on JQ.

Really? I think you need to separate the short haul JQ from the 330 division. Sure they do have some routes doing ok, but they haven't really set the world with most of the other 330 routes. Why would they send EBS back to QF mainline within several months of receiving it brand new from Airbus?

 

[drewbles]

Really? I think you need to separate the short haul JQ from the 330 division. Sure they do have some routes doing ok, but they haven't really set the world with most of the other 330 routes. Why would they send EBS back to QF mainline within several months of receiving it brand new from Airbus?

Because they have 2-3 787's coming before the end of the year and QF needs the capacity?

Just a guess, not informed...

 

[mannej]

Because they have 2-3 787's coming before the end of the year and QF needs the capacity?

Just a guess, not informed...

They had to reduce frequency on a couple of routes to be able to hand it back though (AKL-SIN, PEK-SIN)

 

[Isochronous]

They had to reduce frequency on a couple of routes to be able to hand it back though (AKL-SIN, PEK-SIN)

But I think the point is JQ weren't really making money on those routes.

 

[harvyk]

I think that there is still a place for the B747 and the A380, and most people who say otherwise will typically have either US or Euro blinkers on. Frequency is king for dom routes and short haul international, and whilst the B747 has been used on longer dom routes in the past, neither where really designed as short haul jets.

Once you start getting into the medium and long haul market where time zones start playing havoc high capacity is still a requirement, and unless they manage to both speed planes up considerably and quieten them down to less than a dull roar so as not to annoy the neighbours, there will continue to be a market for the heavies.

I don't actually see either pulling the plug. Whilst Boeing has more to fall back on in the 777 if they did pull the plug on the 747, the 747 is still an icon. Airbus doesn't have a 777 to fall back on, so until they have one that's ready, we'll still see the A380 out and about. FWIW, the A380 is heavily pushed as the flagship product (along with B777's), but I don't think it'll ever achieve the icon status of the B747, that icon status is something that may actually help pull the B747 through.