British Airways orders A380 and Boeing 787

[AASuper80Fan]

Not a surprise here. If Boeing would ever get the Boeing 777-300ER and Boeing 748I would ever become an option with RR, I could see BA ordering some.

[Bok269]

While I am glad to hear they went with the 787, I am disappointed that they didn't go for the 748. Maybe they will find the need for it as more of there 744s are retired? If not the 744, at least some more 777/787s.

[rohank4284]

Hi,

In a way I am kind of glad that British Airways went for the Airbus A380, as I think it will work out well for them. However, I do think that if the Boeing 747-8i had a RR engine variant, instead, of only GEnx engines; BA probably would have bought some. However, BA originally did buy the GE90-95B powered Boeing 777s and then later bought the RR Trent powered ones, so maybe there's still some hope for those of us who want to see some Boeing 747-8i orders. By the way, what do you guys think the probability that United Airlines may buy some Boeing 747-8i.

Regards,

Rohan

[Jerrycobra Boeing]

nice for ba, airbus, and boeing, the 777-300er does fine with only ge engines, so the orders for it? but the 748i is in trouble, the one engine was a bad gamble, or until time tells, ba has ge 777s, but they hated them and switched

[Crunk415balla]

I was just sitting here in my Air and Travel class having a discussion about BA and the A380 with the guy next to me when I come upon this. Very interesting, didn't expect it.

Perhaps a single A380 will take over the 2 daily 744s from SFO to Heathrow down the road?

[DAL767-400ER]

I was just sitting here in my Air and Travel class having a discussion about BA and the A380 with the guy next to me when I come upon this. Very interesting, didn't expect it.

Perhaps a single A380 will take over the 2 daily 744s from SFO to Heathrow down the road?

One of them, not both of them. The A380s are needed to increase capacity, not combine capacity.

[TAP-A343]

This is basically a big win for Airbus and the A380 programme.

It's the first time that BA orders Airbus widebodies and perhaps they will even go for the A350-1000 instead of the B773ER because of the engines.

On the other hand, the B787 order was expected as a B767 replacement.

I always thought that BA had to go with the A380 to compete with SQ, EK, QF just to name a few.

Regards.

[hansonator69]

BA (finally) ordered Boeing 787's and the A380! The colours look cool on the 787 and A380

[uy707]

More ...

http://www.flightglobal.com/articles/2007/09/27/217208/ba-outlines-likely-a380-long-haul-routes-and-delivery-dates.html

BA outlines likely A380 long-haul routes and delivery dates
By Victoria Moores

British Airways (BA) has revealled its A380 long-haul routes and delivery dates, following today’s long-awaited Airbus A380 and Boeing 787 order.

The Oneworld carrier has ordered 12 Airbus A380s and 24 Boeing 787s, with options on seven more A380s and 18 more 787s. BA’s first 787 will arrive in 2010, followed by its first A380 in 2012. Both types will be Rolls-Royce-powered.

BA’s long-haul fleet comprises 57 Boeing 747-400s, 43 Boeing 777s and 14 Boeing 767s. The new aircraft will replace 20 of the 747-400s and 14 of its 767s.

Although the spokeswoman says that the configuration and network for the A380s and 787s is yet to be detailed, she lists Los Angeles, San Francisco, Singapore, Hong Kong, Johannesburg and BA’s Indian destinations as likely A380 routes. But she stresses that these are “not set in stone”.



The 787-8 and -9s will be used to replace some of BA’s 14 Boeing 767s. “The great thing about the [787s] is that they can be used for long- or short-haul routes. It is a very flexible aircraft and we will be looking at a whole host of opportunities,” says the spokeswoman.



BA says the new aircraft will complement one another in its long-haul fleet, strengthening its network strategy. They will also bring greater flexibility and significant economic benefits, through lower seat costs.

“The A380 will be used to provide more capacity for the airline’s key high-density markets and maximise use of scarce Heathrow slots. The 787 will be used to start new routes and increase frequencies in existing markets,” says the firm.

The spokeswoman says the A380 and 787 were selected as they suit the BA fleet plan and growth strategy, but she adds that environmental considerations were a deciding factor. “At London Heathrow that’s a key issue for us,” she says.

BA chief executive Willie Walsh says: “These aircraft set the gold standard when it comes to environmental performance in the key areas of CO2 emissions, local air quality and noise. They will contribute significantly to our target of improving fuel efficiency by 25% between 2005 and 2025.

“They are also much quieter than their predecessors, which is of vital importance at Heathrow. Both the A380 and 787 are rated as producing a quarter of the noise