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**fleetlordatvar** · 05-18-2014, 12:06 AM

JetBlue paints an Airbus A320 with binary code

Today in the Sky

Ben Mutzabaugh, USA TODAY 4:43 p.m. EDT May 14, 2014

(Photo: JetBlue)

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JetBlue rolled out its newest special airplane livery this week, showing off an Airbus A320 that's been repainted in a "binary code" design.
JetBlue says it gave the A320 the paint scheme to promote its in-flight "Fly-Fi" Internet service.
TODAY IN THE SKY: JetBlue paints Airbus 320 in colors of N.Y. Fire Dept. (October 2013)
The binary code, of course, is the two-digit computer "language" that's based on just two numbers: "1" and "0."
The airline re-christened the repainted aircraft (tail number N709JB) with the catchy name of: "CONNECTED TO 01000010 01001100 01010101 01000101."
JetBlue says about one third of its Airbus 320 aircraft are now equipped with Fly-Fi, which it rolled out in mid-December. JetBlue says it's adding the service to its fleet at an average rate of 10 aircraft per month. The carrier expects to have the Fly-Fi service on all of its Airbus aircraft by the end of 2014 and on its Embraer planes by the end of 2015.
JetBlue claims that its Ka-band satellite-based service is eight times faster than in-flight Wi-Fi offered on most other U.S. carriers.
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An undated photo of JetBlue's binary code-themed Airbus A320.(Photo: JetBlue)

**fleetlordatvar** · 05-18-2014, 12:09 AM

JetBlue paints Airbus 320 in colors of N.Y. Fire Dept.

Today in the Sky

Ben Mutzabaugh, USA TODAY 12:35 p.m. EDT October 28, 2013

(Photo: JetBlue)
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New York City

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JetBlue rolled out its newest unique aircraft design last week, unveiling its "Blue Bravest" aircraft that's painted in the colors of the New York City Fire Department (FDNY). The Airbus A320 is adorned with the FDNY shield and will fly throughout JetBlue's route network.
JetBlue also has a number of other specially painted aircraft. Among those are jets painted in the color of sports teams such as the New York Jets and the Boston Red Sox and a tourism-themed "I Love New York" aircraft.
PHOTOS: Sports-themed aircraft
MORE PHOTOS: More specialty aircraft
FLYING COLORS: A look a unique aircraft designs
JetBlue notes its status as "the only major airline actually based in New York" in its effort to be "supportive of its hometown firefighters, emergency medical technicians and paramedics."
JetBlue says its Blue Bravest livery "will support the FDNY Foundation � in its mission to raise awareness and promote fire safety and professional development, training, and education for members of the FDNY."
"We are New York's Hometown Airline, we not only work here, we live here too," JetBlue CEO Dave Barger says in a release promoting the new aircraft livery. "On a daily basis we see the hard work of firefighters, paramedics and emergency medical technicians who help keep our city safe. We appreciate their dedication and are excited to support our hometown heroes in a very JetBlue way. We've substituted our namesake blue and painted this airplane red, a special honor just for the FDNY Foundation."
"With this incredible aircraft, JetBlue has created an outstanding tribute to the 15,000 members of the FDNY and the life-saving work they perform every single day," Fire Commissioner Salvatore J. Cassano says in JetBlue's release.
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JetBlue's "Blue Bravest" livery.(Photo: JetBlue)

**WALmsp** · 05-20-2014, 11:10 AM

Love the binary!

**fleetlordatvar** · 07-29-2014, 07:58 PM

Hawaiian rolls over, cancels A350-800 for A330-800neos

Ben Sandilands | Jul 23, 2014 6:44AM | EMAIL | PRINT

Airbus graphic of the A330-800neo, launched at recent Farnborough Air Show

The last obstacle to Airbus shelving its -800 ultra long range smaller capacity version of the A350 family appears to have been overcome with Hawaiian Airlines converting its order for the unwanted variant to six of the newly launched A330-800neo type.
Hawaiian has just announced that it start taking its A330-800neos from 2019, with purchase rights for a further six, all outlined in a Memorandum of Understanding disclosed earlier this morning.
All previously listed orders for A350-800s now appear to have been cancelled in favor of upgrades to the larger A350-900 and A350-1000 models.
Hawaiian�s current flights from Australia to Honolulu are predominantly flown by A330-200s, the model that will be significantly improved in the -800 version which offers lower fuel consumption and improved payload/range metrics.

**fleetlordatvar** · 07-29-2014, 08:32 PM

Airbus set to axe A350-800?

By David Flynn Filed under: Airbus A350

published 23 Jul, 2014
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Airbus is expected to shelve plans to build the A350-800 jet – the smallest member of the A350 family – following the decision by Hawaiian Airlines to drop its long-standing A350-800 order for the newer A330-800neo.
The airline initially signed up for six of the -800 jets, but overnight revealed it has converted that order to six A330-800neo jets for delivery from 2019.
Most other airlines which originally signed on the dotted line for the A350-800 have since upgraded to the larger A350-900 or -1000.
US Airways, which was on the books for 18 A350-800s, converted its order to the A350-900 in late December 2013.

The A350-800 is a pint-sized version of the baseline A350-900 with the same wing size – a 'shrink', in aviation terms – and "a shrink is never an optimal solution" says Scott Hamilton, aviation writer and analyst with LeehamNews.
“The economics are just not as good as the larger airplanes."
The A350-800 was designed to seat 276 passengers in a two-class configuration, but has attracted far fewer orders than its larger A350-900 and -1000 siblings.
Airbus will bring the A350-900 to Sydney in early August as part of a worldwide tour to test the aircraft ahead of its commercial debut by year's end.
Read: Airbus A350 coming to Sydney on August 5
For a peek inside the A350, check out our walkthrough of the first passenger-ready A350 and our first-hand report from on board the A350's flight test earlier this year.
Follow Australian Business Traveller on Twitter: we're @AusBT

**fleetlordatvar** · 07-29-2014, 08:41 PM

Jul 22, 2014, 12:19pm CDT
Boeing 787 maintains fuel efficiency lead over Airbus A330neo: roundup

[IMG]http://media.bizj.us/view/img/3252551/bloombergphotoa380boeing787*304xx3722-2481-139-0.jpg[/IMG] Enlarge Photo

Simon Dawson | Bloomberg
An Airbus A380 aircraft, left, taxis past a Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner before performing in an aerial flying display on the second day of the Farnborough International Airshow in Farnborough, U.K.

Staff Chicago Business Journal
Boeing’s 787 will keep a lead in fuel burn over Airbus’ new A330neo ... but just barely. That’s the conclusion from an early analysis done by aerospace analyst and Leeham LLC President Scott Hamilton, just a week after Airbus launched its long-expected re-engined A330neo at the Farnborough Air Show outside London. -- Steve Wilhelm of the Puget Sound Business Journal
Chicago-based Boeing (NYSE: BA) has operations around the country. Here are other recent stories reported by The Business Journals.
Boeing, Lockheed Martin and Airbus have entered bids to supply Denmark with as many as 30 fighter jets. The three companies submitted binding documents to the country’s government, a required step in the bid process. Danish officials will begin discussions on the selection process next year. -- Washington Business Journal
Deon Anderson, a former Boeing procurement officer, pled guilty Friday to three counts of mail fraud, one count of wire fraud and one count of currency structuring in connection to a scheme involving Boeing aircraft parts. According to court documents, Anderson provided non-public competitor bid information and price history for Boeing military aircraft part purchase order requests from November 2009 to February 2013 to Santa Ana, California-based Globe Dynamics International and its owner William Boozer. -- Vince Brennan of the St. Louis Business Journal
Although rival Airbus won the week at the Farnborough International Airshow, it's not like the Boeing Co. will be leaving England empty-handed. Boeing on Thursday reported orders and commitments for 201 aircraft from the show, worth around $40.2 billion. That pushes Boeing’s number of net orders in 2014 to 783. -- Daniel McCoy of the Wichita Business Journal
Boeing Co. has posted a video on its website providing more details about how robots will help assemble the upcoming 777X fuselage in Everett, Washington. As can be seen on the video, the Fuselage Automated Upright Build process will be dynamic, with robots not only drilling and riveting, but positioning parts. -- Steve Wilhelm of the Puget Sound Business Journal

**fleetlordatvar** · 07-29-2014, 09:16 PM

Airbus A350 begins 'world tour' of 14 cities

By David Flynn Filed under: Airbus A350

published 24 Jul, 2014
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The Airbus A350 has begun a globe-spanning world tour covering 14 cities as the next-gen jet edges towards its debut with Qatar Airways towards the end of this year.
But this isn't just any old roadshow. The three-week journey encompasses a series of 'route proving tests' intended to show that the A350 is ready to take its place in the real world with auto-landing trials, high airfield performance, and airport turnaround and handling tests.

The route is divided into four legs and some of the flights will have passengers on board.
After taking off from Airbus HQ in Toulouse, France the A350's first run will take it to Canada via the north-pole and Frankfurt.
Then it's on to Hong Kong and Singapore.

The longest leg will take the A350 from Toulouse to Johannesburg, Sydney (on August 5), Auckland, Santiago and Sao Paulo.
Read: Airbus A350 coming to Sydney on August 5
The fourth and final trip sees the A350 head to Doha, then onto Perth – a route which Qatar CEO has already earmarked for a commercial A350 service in early 2015 – and back to Doha, Moscow and Helsinki before turning home.

The tests will be flown by one of two special test aircraft fitted with a cabin of 42 business class and 223 economy class seats.
For a peek inside the A350, check out our walkthrough of the first passenger-ready A350 and our first-hand report from on board the A350's flight test earlier this year.
Follow Australian Business Traveller on Twitter: we're @AusBT

**fleetlordatvar** · 07-29-2014, 11:03 PM

200th Airbus A320 Shipset Loaded for China

Posted by Eric Haun
Tuesday, July 29, 2014, 9:57 AM

Loading of the 200th shipset A320 FAL at the Airbus quay in Finkenwerder (Photo: Airbus/Christian Brinkmann)

The 200th shipset for Airbus�s A-320 final assembly line (FAL) in Tianjin, China, was loaded on to the containership COSCO Hope at HHLA�s Container Terminal Tollerort on July 28 and dispatched onwards to Asia. Transport by sea to Tianjin lasts around 40 days.

Four �shipsets� per month are transported by containership from the Port of Hamburg to Tianjin. The forward and rear fuselages, tailplane and rudder, the main landing gear doors and the inner landing flaps are each transported by a special transport craft from Airbus pier in Finkenwerder to HHLA Container Terminal Tollerort. The engine mounts (pylons) are delivered separately by truck to the terminal in the port. All the components are then loaded on to the containership on special sea transport frames. The wings are built in Tianjin itself and delivered there by Airbus�s partner XAC. The A320 final assembly line in Tianjin has been building A319 and A320 aircraft since 2008 and is currently completing these at a rate four per month. This was Airbus�s first final assembly line outside Europe. For over six years Airbus�s Hamburg base has functioned as logistic hub for A320 production activities outside Europe.

For Hamburger Hafen und Logistik (HHLA), handling project cargo at a container terminal is routine. Cargoes from the project logistics sector are shipped regularly from the largest Hamburg cargo-handling firm�s terminals. Dr. Thomas Koch, Managing Director of HHLA�s Container Terminal Tollerort, says: �Loading of Airbus shipsets is of importance for Hamburg as an industrial base. We are delighted by the trust shown by our customer COSCO and Airbus in this spectacular transport. Even if a certain routine has set in after 200 shipments, each one of them represents a challenge that we are happy to tackle.�

The Port of Hamburg is an important handling hub for conventional general and project cargo. In 2013 Germany�s largest seaport loaded 1.9 million tons in this segment. Project cargo accounts for a large share of exports, especially. Industrial companies from Germany, Central and Eastern Europe shipped 503,000 tons in the same year from the universal port of Hamburg that is an important hub in Europe, not only for container traffic but also in the field of conventional general and project cargo.

Hamburg is one of Germany�s top three industrial centers. Firms of world renown such as Airbus, Aurubis, Beiersdorf, Unilever, Lufthansa Technik and Bode Chemie underpin and strengthen Hamburg�s reputation as an industrial location of worldwide significance. Hamburg is the central hub in Europe for trade with the People�s Republic of China. Container handling with China and Hong Kong constitutes around 29 percent of total container handling in the Port of Hamburg, reaching a volume of 2.7 million TEU (+ 2.9 percent) in 2013.

portofhamburg.com

**fleetlordatvar** · 08-11-2014, 03:16 PM

Oversize Expectations for the Airbus A380

By JAD MOUAWADAUG. 9, 2014

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An Airbus A380, by far the world�s largest commercial passenger plane, at the 2014 Farnborough International Airshow in England last month. Only one airline � Emirates � has made the plane a central element of its global strategy. Credit Kieran Doherty/Reuters Continue reading the main story
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To get a sense of the Airbus A380�s size and ambition, walk up the grand staircase of an Emirates version of the aircraft, past the showers and the first-class suites and then through endless rows in business class to the bar at the back of the upper deck. This sleek semicircle, alluringly underlit and fully stocked with pricey spirits like Grey Goose vodka, is undoubtedly one of the defining features of this aircraft, which can hold more than 500 passengers. The plane dwarfs every commercial jet in the skies.
Since it started flying commercially seven years ago, the A380 has caught the imagination of travelers. Its two full-length decks total 6,000 square feet, 50 percent more than the original jumbo jet, the Boeing 747. Its wingspan barely fits inside a football field. Its four engines take this 560-ton airplane to a cruising altitude of 39,000 feet in less than 15 minutes, a surprisingly smooth ascent for such a bulky plane. Passengers love it because it�s quiet and more reminiscent of a cruise ship than an airplane.
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The first-class cabin features showers. Credit Michael Nagle for The New York Times The A380 was also Airbus�s answer to a problematic trend: More and more passengers meant more flights and increasingly congested tarmacs. Airbus figured that the future of air travel belonged to big planes flying between major hubs. �More than simply a big airplane,� one industry analyst wrote when the first A380 was delivered to Singapore Airlines in 2007, �the newest industry flagship will change forever the way the industry operates.�
The prediction hasn�t exactly come true.
Airbus has struggled to sell the planes. Orders have been slow, and not a single buyer has been found in the United States, South America, Africa or India. Only one airline in China has ordered it, and its only customer in Japan has canceled. Even existing customers are paring down orders.
The A380 has a list price of $400 million, but the pressure has forced Airbus to cut prices as much as 50 percent, according to industry analysts. So far, Airbus has received 318 orders and delivered 138 planes to just 11 airlines � a disappointing tally given forecasts that the plane would be a flagship aircraft for carriers worldwide.
Only one airline � Emirates � has made the A380 a central element of its global strategy, ordering 140 as it built a major travel hub in Dubai. But Emirates is unique. No one else has bet on the plane with quite the same confidence.
The A380 hasn�t done so well for a number of reasons, some merely cyclical. The plane was introduced amid a deep downturn in the airline business. Airline executives were wary of expanding their fleets aggressively, especially for a costly, four-engine fuel hog.
But critics like Richard Aboulafia, an aerospace analyst at the Teal Group, an aviation consulting firm in Fairfax, Va., say the main problem is more fundamental: Airbus made the wrong prediction about travel preferences. People would rather take direct flights on smaller airplanes, he said, than get on big airplanes � no matter their feats of engineering � that make connections through huge hubs.
Continue reading the main story
�It�s a commercial disaster,� Mr. Aboulafia says. �Every conceivably bad idea that anyone�s ever had about the aviation industry is embodied in this airplane.�
Airbus spent roughly $25 billion to develop the aircraft. The plane was delayed for years because of manufacturing problems while Airbus struggled to keep the plane�s weight down and coordinate its complex design among dozens of suppliers across Europe. In 2012, Airbus discovered small cracks in supporting ribs inside the A380�s wings, an embarrassing and costly design error that the manufacturer is now correcting.
While the A380 program has been a boon for the European aerospace industry, Airbus is unlikely to recover its research and development costs. The best it can now expect is to break even on production costs, according to analysts, provided that it can keep orders going.
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Tim Clark, left, president of Emirates, sees the A380 as a canvas for a new kind of luxury travel. He sat with Alan Joyce, the chief executive of Qantas Airways, a partner carrier, in a Qantas version of the plane. Credit Brendon Thorne/Bloomberg News Steven F. Udvar-H�zy, an industry veteran who is chief executive of the Air Lease Corporation, which leases aircraft, calls the lack of interest in the planes �a very unusual situation,� especially among United States airlines. �I�ve never seen this before in a big program,� he says.
Competing Conclusions
A little more than a decade ago, the two dominant airplane makers, Boeing and Airbus, looked at where their businesses were headed and saw similar facts: air traffic doubling every 15 years, estimates that the number of travelers would hit four billion by 2030 � and came to radically different conclusions about what those numbers meant for their future.
Boeing figured that traffic would move away from big hubs and toward secondary airports. So it started to build a smaller, more fuel-efficient long-range aircraft, which became known as the 787 Dreamliner.
Airbus, on the other hand, saw the rise of international traffic through major hubs and decided to bet on a big plane to connect those big airports.
�The A380 is not made for every route, but it is ideal for high-traffic routes, high-volume routes that are congested, or where there are flying constraints,� says Antonio Da Costa, the head of A380 marketing for Airbus.
And there are a fair number of those routes. Around 15 of the 20 largest long-haul routes by passenger volume in the world today are slot-constrained, meaning that they face some restrictions on the number of daily takeoff or landings, says John E. Thomas, managing director at L.E.K. Consulting, a transportation advisory firm.
Here is one example of how the Airbus theory works in practice: This summer, British Airways plans to replace three Boeing 747s flying each day between London and Los Angeles with two A380s, freeing one slot at Heathrow Airport for another flight.
Yet despite the congestion at hubs like Heathrow and the growth of megacities like New York, New Delhi and Beijing, the market for large planes remains small. Airbus predicts that in the next 20 years, airlines will order more than 29,000 new planes from Airbus, Boeing and other plane makers. But the bulk of those, or roughly 20,000, will be smaller, single-aisle planes that fly routes like New York to Chicago, or London to Frankfurt. Airbus estimates that the market for the biggest � and most expensive � long-range airplanes will be about 1,700.
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Boeing, too, is facing lukewarm demand for its latest jumbo jet upgrade, known as the 747-8. The company has received just 51 orders for this big plane, which can seat about 460 passengers and lists at $357 million. By contrast, it has sold more than 1,200 twin-engine 777s, which sell for as much as $320 million. (Airlines typically get discounts on the listed prices.)
Continue reading the main story A Big Customer for a Big Plane

The Airbus A380 is the world�s largest passenger jet, with a wingspan much wider than that of Boeing�s 747-400. The biggest customer for the A380 is Emirates, based in Dubai. As yet, though, there have been no orders for the plane from North or South America.

Sources: Airbus; Boeing

More worrisome for Airbus is that it has struggled to find new customers for the A380 after a flurry of initial orders. Just three new carriers � Etihad Airways, Qatar Airways and Asiana Airlines � are getting A380 planes this year. And last month, Airbus canceled an order for six A380s destined for Skymark Airlines, a low-cost carrier in Japan that has been losing money.
Garuda of Indonesia recently dropped plans to buy the A380, deciding that the plane was too big for its markets. And Virgin Atlantic, which has options for six A380s, remains undecided about whether to proceed. The airline was partly acquired by Delta Air Lines in 2012; Richard H. Anderson, Delta�s chief executive, has said the A380 is �by definition an uneconomic airplane unless you�re a state-owned enterprise with subsidies.�
Current customers, too, are cutting back their orders, including the major carriers in France and Germany, where the plane is assembled. Air France postponed the last two of 12 planes it had ordered. Lufthansa has scaled back its order to 14 from 17.
Bruno Delile, Air France�s senior vice president for fleet management, says that there are a limited number of routes in its network with enough daily traffic to justify the expense of such a big plane.
�The forecasts about traffic growth and market saturation haven�t exactly panned out,� he says.
Not only do airlines take a big risk on the size and cost of the A380, but they also have to gain the cooperation of airports to modify gates and widen taxiways to make room for the plane. Apart from the main global hubs, few airports have made these investments. No airport in Brazil, for instance, can handle an A380. The plane was only recently allowed in Mumbai.
�Airports haven�t really been rushing to welcome the A380,� Mr. Delile says.
Airbus may have mistimed the market in a more fundamental way. While European engineers were developing the plane, their counterparts at Boeing were working on alternative designs. Out of this effort came the 787 Dreamliner, with a carbon-composite fuselage, a host of electronic systems and more efficient engines that could fly longer distances while consuming less jet fuel.
That plane, which entered service in late 2011, had its share of high-profile problems; the entire fleet was grounded for three months in 2013 because of battery fires. Boeing says the problem has been resolved, and the company has orders for more than 1,000 of the planes. With versions that seat 210 to 330 passengers, and with a range of about 9,000 miles, the 787 allows airlines to fly pretty much anywhere in the world and connect smaller airports without going through a hub.
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Japanese carriers are flying these planes from Tokyo to D�sseldorf, Germany, and to San Diego and Boston. This reduces the need for bigger planes to feed big hubs. And passengers are willing to pay more to avoid a connection, says Will Horton, an aviation analyst at CAPA � Centre for Aviation.
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Economy class on an Emirates A380 looks similar to that of other planes. Credit Michael Nagle for The New York Times Recognizing the success of the 787, Airbus started developing its own version of a long-range, fuel-efficient airplane, called the A350-XWB. The first should be delivered to Qatar Airways before year-end. Airlines have ordered 742 of the A350s since the program was announced in 2006.
�No doubt some airlines, given the opportunity to rewrite history, would not order the A380,� Mr. Horton says.
A Bar in the Sky
The view from Tim Clark�s office on the top floor of the Emirates headquarters in Dubai offers a stunning panorama of the city�s airport, including a new $4.5 billion terminal. Emirates currently operates 50 A380s, with more on the way, and has built its business model around the plane. Traffic here never stops. Even at midnight, when flights from the east land and connect passengers who are headed west, the airport is alive and bustling.
If most airlines appear skeptical of the A380, Emirates is a true believer. It stunned the industry in December when it ordered 50 more of the planes, beyond the 90 it already had on order, throwing Airbus a much needed lifeline. (Emirates also ordered 150 new Boeing 777Xs, a more efficient variation on the best-selling jet, helping to initiate the program for this new airplane, due in 2020.)
Mr. Clark, the president of the airline, has turned it into one of the world�s largest carriers by seat capacity. And he is the A380�s most enthusiastic supporter.
�People get on the A380 and they absolutely love it,� he says. The upper deck on the Emirates version, he adds, is �just one big party.�
(Other carriers configure their A380s differently, with some including economy seating in the upper deck.)
The son of a tanker ship captain and an economist, Mr. Clark joined Emirates in the mid-1980s. His basic insight about the A380 is simple: It can be a canvas for a new kind of luxury flight experience. It was Mr. Clark who came up with the idea to install two showers for first-class passengers. Airbus engineers thought the idea was crazy because it would require more fuel to fly the water for the showers. But he dismissed their objections. The showers would immediately distinguish the plane from anything else in the air.
He also put a large bar on board, along with a pair of semicircular couches, equipped with seatbelts in case of turbulence.
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The bar at the back of business class on the upper deck offers premium spirits � and room to relax. Credit Michael Nagle for The New York Times �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.
That was certainly the atmosphere on a 13-hour flight between New York and Dubai earlier this year. While about 400 weary coach passengers on the lower deck tried to catch a few hours of fitful sleep, the upper-deck mood was more festive.
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Continue reading the main story
Rudolph V. Pino Jr., an insurance lawyer from New York, enjoyed a glass of chardonnay and traded pleasantries and business cards with other passengers. The bar was staffed by cheerful flight attendants amid an endless supply of Champagne and canap�s.
�It�s a special airplane,� he said. �It brings some glamour back to air travel, just like in the days of TWA and the old Boeing 747s.�
Unlike airlines in the United States, Emirates, which is a product of Dubai�s aviation-friendly policies, operates from a single hub. The airport handled 66 million passengers last year, rivaling Heathrow as the busiest international hub. Emirates serves more than 140 destinations, essentially connecting flows of passengers with a single stop in Dubai.
But for Emirates, the biggest selling point of the A380 is its ability to pack in more business-class seats and create an environment that appeals to big-spending passengers. �The upper deck of the A380 is an absolute gold mine for us,� Mr. Clark says. �We elected to make it all premium. We elected to put in all the gadgets and gizmos. We were laughed at, at first.�
There are more first- and business-class seats on the Emirates A380 than on the 777, and they are usually 75 to 80 percent full, Mr. Clark says. On some routes, like those to Heathrow, where Emirates has five daily flights, that figure can reach 90 percent. Once the whole plane is 85 percent full, its operating costs fall below those of a 777, he says.
It�s a simple-enough recipe. But for the plane to be successful for Airbus, Emirates can�t be the only airline to make it work.
�United would be a great operator from San Francisco to Asia,� says Mark Lapidus, chief executive of Amedeo, an aircraft leasing company. Last year, Mr. Lapidus announced that his company would buy 20 new A380s, in a deal valued at $8.3 billion, and then lease them to airlines. It was an expensive gamble, and Amedeo doesn�t have any commitments yet.
The problem is that American carriers, including United, aren�t interested. Wall Street analysts aren�t convinced, either. Shares of United would plunge at least 10 percent if it bought A380s, according to one analyst, because of concerns that they would bring too much capacity into the market.
In recent years, United States airlines have found the way back to profitability by cutting capacity and retiring airplanes, effectively taking seats out of the market. A bigger plane, in the view of some analysts, would undo everything they�ve done.
Some analysts are also worried about the resale value of an A380, once the planes come off their lease and enter the secondary market. With weak sales and limited interest today, aviation experts say the plane�s resale value could potentially depress new A380 prices even further.
In his aerie in Dubai, Mr. Clark appears untroubled by these considerations. He has repeatedly said he would buy more planes if Airbus could deliver them fast enough.
�My view is that we�ve all got to tough this out,� he says. �As I say to my friends at Airbus: Don�t bottle this. The day will come again. The global economy will take care of you.�
He has encouraged Airbus to build an even bigger version of the A380. That, even Airbus would concede, seems unlikely.

**fleetlordatvar** · 08-11-2014, 03:20 PM

Why Airbus’ A380 Failed

Bidness Etc investigates the reasons behind the failure of Airbus’ A380, which was once anticipated to break all air-travel norms

Published: August 11, 2014 at 5:34 am ESTBy: Sam Quest

AIRBUS GROUP (EADSY) hoped to change the face of the global air-transport industry with the A-380. The company thought of the new aircraft as a solution to congested tarmacs, which are a result of higher demand for air travel. However, with only 11 airlines having ordered the A380 in initial years, and orders stagnating thereafter, it is evident that the aircraft has not taken off very well in the industry.

What the A380 hoped to achieve?

Airbus predicted that aircrafts with greater passenger capacity would eventually dominate the market. The A-380 was deemed ideal for high volume and high traffic routes. 75% of the largest long-haul routes are slot-constrained, meaning the number of flights taking off or landing at a certain airport is restricted; hence, greater passenger volumes could be achieved with a larger carrier.

British Airways, the national carrier for Britain, is an airline that might implement such a strategy. It plans on replacing the three Boeing 747s flying on the London-Los Angeles route with two A380s. This would decrease traffic at Heathrow Airport by one aircraft.

What Went Wrong?

The A380 is just too big for the industry to handle, having a wingspan that exceeds the length of a football field and taking up an area of 6,000 square feet. Four engines power the massive jet, bringing it to an altitude of 39,000 feet in under 15 minutes. However, the massive engines of the jet consume greater quantities of fuel, and increase the overall costs of airlines that have the A380 as a part of their fleet.

Most airports in the world cannot accommodate the A380 owing to its large wingspan. Therefore, it is necessary to gain cooperation from airports to modify their gates in order to make the accommodation of the aircraft possible. For example, the aircraft cannot fly to Brazil as airports there cannot handle the A380.

The limited routes that the A380 can fly on, along with the higher costs attached to the aircraft, have made airlines pessimistic about adding it to their fleet. Only 11 airlines have ordered the A380 so far. Emirates Airlines has been the only one to have based its fleet around the plane, having ordered 140 planes and currently operating 50 of them.

Boeing’s Strategy

The Boeing Company (BA), the largest competitor for Airbus’ aircraft-manufacturing business, had predicted that traffic would slow down between large hubs in the world and domestic air-traffic would drive growth in the aviation industry. As a result, the company developed the smaller wide-body, fuel-efficient Boeing 787 Dreamliner family of commercial jets, which was a big success. The newest addition to the lineup, the 787-10, has a capacity of seating 323 passengers, compared to over 500 for the A380.

Boeing’s prediction about the future of the aviation industry and drivers of growth seems to have hit the bull’s-eye, whereas Airbus’ prediction has missed the target by a mile.

Boeing was up 0.66% during trading on Friday, while Airbus closed in the red after falling 0.14%.
Airbus has fallen 26.26% over the year, while Boeing has fallen 11.25%.

**fleetlordatvar** · 08-11-2014, 03:22 PM

New breed of planes

Geoffrey Thomas Aviation Editor The West Australian August 11, 2014, 6:14 am

The West Australian Perth travelers are about to experience the most radical upgrade in planes ever seen, with six airlines to introduce new offerings in the next nine months.

The 275-seat Boeing 787, the 315-seat Airbus A350 and the 500-seat Airbus A380 are scheduled to be introduced by April next year, giving WA travelers probably the best that air travel has to offer.

The roll out will start on September 21 when Thai Airways introduces its first 787-8 on the Bangkok-Perth route.
Just over three weeks later Air New Zealand will launch its first 787-9, a bigger model which seats 40 more passengers, on the Auckland-Perth route.
And in December Scoot will replace its daily 777 service with its first Boeing 787-9.

The 787 is revolutionizing travel, with one survey revealing 90 per cent of passengers say it meets or exceeds their expectations.
And the expectations are high for a plane that represents the biggest advance in travel in the jet era.

The 787 is the world's most comfortable plane and a quantum leap over any other aircraft in getting you to your destination in better shape.
Last week Etihad Airways chief commercial officer Peter Baumgartner said the airline "would in all likeliness" use its new luxurious 787-9s on the Perth route next year.

Etihad is the largest customer of the 787 with 71 on order and the plane will be configured with eight first class, 28 business class and 199 economy seats.
The airline launched flights to Perth from Abu Dhabi on July 15 with the 262-seat Airbus A330.

Mr Baumgartner, in Perth for the official launch last week, said the airline was "delighted by the enthusiastic response we've had from the people of WA".
"The interest in Etihad Airways and our home, the Emirate of Abu Dhabi, has been extraordinary," he said.
Arch rival Qatar Airways is also increasing capacity on its daily flight to Doha with the Boeing 777-300ER taking over from the smaller 777-200ER from October 1.

According to the airline, which started services to Perth two years ago, the route had grown considerably over the past two years with connections to 33 destinations in Europe, through the airline's new state-of-the-art home, Hamad International Airport, in Doha.
Qatar's 777s are the among the most spacious in service in business class and economy.

Qatar is also the launch customer for the new Airbus A350, which is doing test flights on the Doha-Perth route.
The first of three return test flights landed in Perth yesterday.

The plane is due to enter service with Qatar late this year and Perth is slated as an early destination for a possible twice-daily service.
Singapore Airlines and Cathay Pacific have also bought big fleets of A350s, which will be used on Perth services.
Emirates also plans to introduce the A380 super jumbo to Perth. The airline first wanted to start services in June last year but the promised special aerobridge facility at the airport was not ready and that A380 went to Brisbane instead.

Sources in Dubai suggest an announcement is imminent on the start of Emirates A380 services to Perth.
It is likely the A380 will take over the late evening service to Dubai, replacing a 365-seat Boeing 777-300ER.
The interest in Etihad Airways and our home, the Emirate of Abu Dhabi, has been extraordinary. "Peter Baumgartner, _Etihad Airways chief commercial officer _

**fleetlordatvar** · 08-11-2014, 03:25 PM

SIA to use superjumbo A380 for Auckland flights from Oct 27
The Straits TimesMonday, Aug 11, 2014
20140811_sq_afp.jpg

Print

SINGAPORE - Singapore Airlines (SIA) will deploy its Airbus A380 for selected flights to and from Auckland, New Zealand, from Oct 27.

Get the full story from The Straits Times.
Here is the statement from SIA:
Singapore Airlines customers travelling to and from Auckland in New Zealand will be able to enjoy the luxury and comfort of the world's largest aircraft, the Airbus A380, from October 27, 2014.
The 471-seat A380 will be deployed daily on flight SQ285, departing Singapore at 2050hrs and arriving in Auckland at 1145hrs the following day. The return flight SQ286 will depart Auckland at 1330hrs, arriving in Singapore at 1900hrs. The flights are currently operated with 278-seat Boeing 777-300ERs.
Singapore Airlines operates 12 weekly flights to Auckland, including five others that are operated with 777-200ERs. The Airline also operates daily 777-200ER services to Christchurch.
The A380 has proven exceptionally popular with customers since its inaugural flight in 2007. The aircraft is now operated to Beijing, Frankfurt, London, Los Angeles, Melbourne (until October 25, 2014), Mumbai, New Delhi, New York, Paris, Shanghai, Sydney, Tokyo Narita and Zurich.

**fleetlordatvar** · 08-11-2014, 03:26 PM

India is a universe in itself, says Airbus country president

Ashwini Phadnis

YVES GUILLAUME, President-India, Airbus Group

Yves Guillaume, President-India, Airbus Group, has a simple advice for foreigners working in India: Be patient as there is huge business. Having spent over 10 years In India, Guillaume is now keen that his son, who is studying engineering and is due to graduate soon, look at a possible internship with an Indian company.
How different has your experience been in India compared with the Asia-Pacific region?
India is a universe in itself. I spent a lot of time in the Middle East and about 10 years in South East Asia. Thailand, Malaysia, Vietnam are all different countries, but have less diversity than India.
If you had to implement something from France in India, what will that be?
I do not want to offend your President or Prime Minister (laughs). As you know, the French economy is not the most booming one these days.
I was in Germany the other day and the quality of highways is excellent. It�s also very clean. But it is easier to manage a population of 60-70 or 90 million than managing 1.2 billion.
One of the problems here is the quality of the environment, like the pollution in Delhi.
How difficult or easy have you found it to do business here?
A group like ours deals with the commercial aviation sector. When you deal with IndiGo or even in the past when we were with Captain Gopinath or Mallya the decisions were taken very fast.
When we deal with Indian businessmen, decisions are taken immediately.
When you deal with private companies here, it�s almost the same as dealing in other countries because they have to deal with their boards in the next six months.
What is your advice to foreigners coming to work in your company here?
The number of expats is decreasing because we have more locals. People adapt to India or they do not.
Adapt in what sense?
The relation you can have with India when you arrive is strong. Some people when they arrive are confused about people, organisation, etc.
After six months, they go back. But those who are here usually stay for a long time. It takes time to understand India so it is better that people stay longer.
If a European or American from your company came to you and said I am getting posted in India, what will you tell him?
To be patient, because there is business in India.
There is private sector business, which is very fast and quick. Besides, there is Government business.
Government business in the world takes a lot of time. In India, it takes even more time. It is not only in one sector, but in all sectors of the economy.
What about the work culture? People give you a time and almost always never make it�
But that is true for a lot of countries. You have to adapt and like it. It�s not only for business meetings. When I came, I organised a dinner party. Many people agreed to come. But some forgot to say that on the same evening they had accepted five other dinner party invitations. They came because they liked me. After that, I stopped organising dinners! But India is a much more open society. It is easier to be received.
What is one thing you will change in India?
The Indian way of driving could be improved. Yesterday, I was on the street and a guy decided to take a short cut on the wrong side.
As a result, there was 3-km long jam on the opposite way because this guy decided to go the wrong way.
I like India so I do not want to complain too much. But, I am French, and they always complain so the weather. Then there is the issue of never forming a queue.
This is part of a series on expat CEOs working in India
(This article was published on August 11, 2014)

**fleetlordatvar** · 08-11-2014, 10:53 PM

International Emirates Airlines Airbus loses $16 billion worth of Emirates business

by
Laura Lorenzetti

@lauralorenzetti

June 11, 2014, 8:26 AM EDT
Emirates cancels its order for Airbus� new A350 jets months before the new planes are due to hit the skies.

Airbus has lost a valuable order for its new line of A350 jets after Emirates Airlines cancelled its plans to purchase 70 planes � an order worth about $16 billion � the European aerospace company said Wednesday.

The change of heart by Emirates represents the biggest-ever order cancellation for Airbus. Dubai-based Emirates originally ordered 50 A350-900 and 20 A350-1000 aircraft in 2007, and the first deliveries were scheduled to hit runways in 2019.

�The contract which we signed in 2007 for 70 A350 aircraft has lapsed,� said an Emirates spokesperson. �We are reviewing our fleet requirements.�

The change comes in the wake of Emirates decision to add 50 A380 jets to its collection last year, becoming the largest operator of the superjumbo Airbus planes. The airline is also the lead buyer for Boeing�s new 777X, a similar twin-engined, wide-body plane that is due for delivery shortly after the A350s.

Airbus� new jets have been under development for eight years to the cost of about $15 billion. The European aircraft maker said it was �very confident� in the A350 program, which is set to enter into service in six months. There are �a healthy 742 firm orders� still set, and Airbus expects the order book to continue growing this year, replacing the lost Emirates orders.

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