Airbus A380?

Question

Is there any rumors about a US airline buying the A380??

Answer 1

Another Airbus failure.

Glad Europeans are paying for its failure.

Answer 2

Not yet.

So what's this garbage about the A380 addressing a dead business model. Boeing and the Seattle TImes have issues a lot of garbage marketing to try and stack the B787 against the A380 but they don't compete.

Most of the world's air traveling population lives in big cities and travels to other big cities. There isn't space for the flights to allow small and less efficient long range aircraft to compete with the big boys. It's also very difficult to add airport capacity, the environmentalists won't allow it. That's why the 747 has done so well and it will continue to do so, until the A380 is proven and Boeing bites the bullet and builds the 747-800. Now why are they planning that if it's a dead model.

The 787 actually competes with the 767 and A300 and will compete with the A350 to increase capacity on the thinner long haul routes. There's no room to replace ten A380 flights from SFO to Europe each afternoon with 30 787s. They aren't going to start flying LHR to Sacramento or Athens to Manchester NH either. Stanstead already proved that passangers want to fly from major population centers.

So the A380 is full of problems? Well appart from wiring the seatback entertainment system wrong what else is holding them up?

I see the 787 is delayed. Funny how quiet Boeing has gone all of a sudden isn't it. I don't have a problem with that, it doesn't mean they've forgotten where to put the wings, it's just a setback on a majpr engineering program. They'll get it right and make their first flight some time after the first A380 carries paying passangers in October.

Answer 3

Probobly not in the near future... they have the 747's which will last several years and then they can replace it with the 747-800 coming soon...

That way, re-training crew, a very expensive thing, can be kept to a minimum... and the US airlines just may not be able to fill an A380 as well as a 747... If a 747 is full, it makes alot more money than if the same number of passengers were on a 3/4 full A380...

Answer 4

No, nor do I personally believe it would be a "wise investment." Since Boeing came out with the 787, people are now looking to that. It is more efficient and useful. American airlines have no use for a plane that large for the ranges which they fly. There are constant flights from one location to another with the same usual medium range and regional jets which are all they really need. That is why the European International airlines are going for it. They won't have to fly as many flights across the Atlantic or across the Eurasian continent. The U.S. is a small place and the A380 would be too much of a hassel for us.

Answer 5

Not yet. When the 747 first came out, the hub and choke business model didn't exist. ALL airlines were doing point to point, maybe there would be a connection here or there, but you didn't see the megahubs 30 years ago that you see today. The 747 did fine. I expect that the 380 will eventually do as well. More people are flying now than before and the population centers are growing as well. It should be able to do OK between large metropolitan areas with great distances between them.

Answer 6

A380 was design for a business model that is dead. Airline are not doing a hub and stoke system anymore. Passenger demand a point to point flights. Air travel may pick up to the point where the 380 can break even but that 5 to 15 years down the road. Boeing conned Airbus into supersizing the 380.

Answer 7

I follow the industry closely and i have not read anything about any US airline even thinking about buying the A380. It is too large for most of the airlines in the U.S. and even the two or three that do have international routes like American and Northwest and United are not in the financial position right now to order any planes. Here is a web address for Air Transport World magazine. It's a magazine for people in the industry and usually has all the latest information about what the airlines are purchasing.
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http://www.atwonline.com/

This web site is for another similar magazine called Flight.
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http://www.flightglobal.com/Home/Default.aspx
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Answer 8

well, that kinda depends on how you look at it. most major airports across the country are making their terminal's larger to accomadate them, and most of the airlines are kinda of stuck between purchasing one of those or waiting to see what boeing's new dreamliner is going to be like. boeing is claiming that the dreamliner will get beter gas effeciency, which really strikes home with the airliners. the airbus is just really big and fancy. so the ones that are pleased with boeing 's current lineup probably arent real interested in just another big airplane

Answer 9

The A380 is chock-full of problems. I know of no US carriers looking at the 380. The new Boeing, however, is getting some attention.

Answer 10

Not anymore.
Fed-Ex Canceled their Orders.

Hey ALOPILOT I Think You Mean The 747-8 With GeNX Engines