11 replies to this topic

[FaeLLe]

Check out the whole article at,

http://loresofdubai....service-by.html

[monsoon]

I don't think the A380 is a very practical plane.

[designspace]

^ How so?  According to Airbus, the A380 has about a 13 percent lower fuel burn than the 747 and is the first long-haul aircraft to consume less than 3 liters of fuel per passenger over 100 km -- said to be as efficient as an average family car.

[monsoon]

Because as you said, its aimed at the old 747 which is falling out of use for slightly smaller highly efficient planes, not big bohemiths.  The biggest sellers in the overseas plane business these days is the Boeing 777 and Airbus A340.   The market in the next few decades will be with the Boeing 787, aka 7e7 and what ever Airbus decides to build to compete against it.  

The A380 is a prestige plane an nothing more.  In the industry I think it has the nickname the whalebus.

[designspace]

^ good point!

[mcheiss]

monsoon, on Nov 20 2005, 09:43 AM, said:

Because as you said, its aimed at the old 747 which is falling out of use for slightly smaller highly efficient planes, not big bohemiths.  The biggest sellers in the overseas plane business these days is the Boeing 777 and Airbus A340.   The market in the next few decades will be with the Boeing 787, aka 7e7 and what ever Airbus decides to build to compete against it.  

The A380 is a prestige plane an nothing more.  In the industry I think it has the nickname the whalebus.

Not to mention the fact that almost every large airport in the world doesn't have the runway size nor the proper gate size to comondere an A-380.

[FaeLLe]

mcheiss, on Nov 20 2005, 10:32 PM, said:

Not to mention the fact that almost every large airport in the world doesn't have the runway size nor the proper gate size to comondere an A-380.

Even Heahtrow being the most busiest International Airport in the world is undergoing renovation work to be able to accomodate it.

[monsoon]

FaeLLe, on Nov 20 2005, 03:22 PM, said:

Even Heahtrow being the most busiest International Airport in the world is undergoing renovation work to be able to accomodate it.

That is to be expected as the UK is part of the consortium which owns Airbus which is building the A380.  It would be politically difficult for them not to support the airline.   It should be noted that while Heathrow is the busiest international airport in the world, almost every flight going there is international.     There are larger airports in the world which are not upgrading for the A380.

[FaeLLe]

monsoon, on Nov 21 2005, 01:29 AM, said:

That is to be expected as the UK is part of the consortium which owns Airbus which is building the A380.  It would be politically difficult for them not to support the airline.   It should be noted that while Heathrow is the busiest international airport in the world, almost every flight going there is international.     There are larger airports in the world which are not upgrading for the A380.

Those airports being the busiest airports in the world (for domestic flights, primarily the US)....

[monsoon]

For example Atlanta's Hartsfield, the worlds largest airport, is a gateway for the Southern USA to most of the world.  (The South has the USA's largest population now and is the fastest growing)  It provides direct flights to Europe and Asia.   Yet this airport has no plans to accomidate the A380.   Instead, as I mentioned earlier, airlines prefer to use the A340 and the B777.  (and soon to be B787)    

If the USA doesn't support the A380, it is doomed plane economically.

[mcheiss]

FaeLLe, on Nov 20 2005, 02:22 PM, said:

Even Heahtrow being the most busiest International Airport in the world is undergoing renovation work to be able to accomodate it.

By busiest International airport, do you mean outside of the U.S.?

Because the busiest International Airport in the World is Atlanta Hartsfield.

Here's a chart of the 10 busiest airports in the world by passengers for 2004.

  
1.  Atlanta, Hartsfield (ATL)  83,578,906
2.  Chicago, O'Hare (ORD)  75,373,888  
3.  London, Heathrow (LHR)  67,343,960  
4. Tokyo, Haneda (HND)  62,320,968  
5.  Los Angeles (LAX)  60,710,830
6.  Dallas/Ft. Worth (DFW) 59,412,217  
7.  Frankfurt-Main (FRA) 51,098,271 5.7  
8.  Paris, Charles de Gaulle (CDG) 50,860,561  
9.  Amsterdam, Schiphol (AMS) 42,541,180 6
10.  Denver (DEN) 42,393,693

Edited by mcheiss, 20 November 2005 - 03:20 PM.

[RiverwoodCLT]

The cost to accomidate the A380.
New run ways (heavy plane)
New gates to only support the A380.
So we are talking millions of dollars.