Airbus cancels Skymark Airlines' A380s

[Peter Kesternich]

http://www.bbc.com/news/business-28543108

Hmmmmmm... there was always that nagging doubt in the back of my head that the Skymark deal wouldn't work. Salespeople in Toulouse probably thought that if Skymark gets A380s they would penetrate the Japanese market and JAL and ANA would order them too.

That being said, who would be interested in picking up the ex-Skymark planes as well as production slots?

[ErwinS]

Emirates would like those jets imo

[LH-B744]

http://www.bbc.com/news/business-28543108

Hmmmmmm... there was always that nagging doubt in the back of my head that the Skymark deal wouldn't work. Salespeople in Toulouse probably thought that if Skymark gets A380s they would penetrate the Japanese market and JAL and ANA would order them too.

That being said, who would be interested in picking up the ex-Skymark planes as well as production slots?

Hum. That's a good question, especially for somebody with my avatar. I can add one arguable detail to this thread, which I could correct within two seconds, but, I am not a wikipedia fan since they voted against me being one of their administrators.... ....
http://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Skymark_Airlines

So, Peter. Please correct it in wiki, and you can insert the BBC link (British Broadcasting Corporation, est. 1922).

Since I know my HomeAirport (more than 30 years), I am a Boeing Fan, so we should ask another airline.

AF (Air France), QF (Qantas), BA (British Airways), ...?

[ConcordeBoy]

Salespeople in Toulouse probably thought that if Skymark gets A380s they would penetrate the Japanese market and JAL and ANA would order them too.

^This. I thought from day-1 that the only reason Airbus entertained a risky order like this, was thinking that it might encourage JL/NH into ordering as well.

I'm thinking that they (along with CX) have long been doing a happy-dance that they decided to sit out the A380, at least for now.

Emirates would like those jets imo

Wrong engines.

[Peter Kesternich]

(...)

AF (Air France), QF (Qantas), BA (British Airways), ...?

The way I see it, all of the above have enough A380s already. There are only so many routes out of Paris or London that you can fill an A380 on. As for Qantas, since they went into bed with Emirates, I think the writing has been on the wall for their westbound long-haul operation. They will get rid of their A380s (and 747s) at the first opportunity.

(...)Wrong engines.

Hmmmmm... in that case it looks like these machines might be sitting in Toulouse for a while.

[jarod]

I think nobody will buy those airplanes. Airline's fleet is excessive and they do not need many more aircrafts.

[LUNN]

Hong Kong Airlines order has also been relisted as unidentified customer.

[AA 1818]

Hong Kong Airlines order has also been relisted as unidentified customer.

Did that happen to the Skymark order as well? I.E. is this a pre-cursor to the order being cancelled?

Skymark had on order, 6 A380s - of which they were powered by RR Trent 900s.

http://www.flightglobal.com/news/art...-fleet-362078/

So far, the following clients have ordered the A380, with RR Trenth 900s, and have outstanding deliveries;

Virgin Atlantic - which ordered 6, and have yet to take delivery of any of their aircraft.

Singapore Airlines - which has ordered 24, with 1 option, and has taken delivery of 19 - thus if all options taken up would allow them to take 6 more aircraft.

British Airways - which has ordered 12 with 7 options - of which only 6 have been delivered.

Apart from those;

If TG, LH, CZ, OZ, LH or any less likely - MH or QF (both in dire straits financially, with QF deferring their deliveries), chose to do so, they could acquire the aircraft likely at a discount from EADS and still keep the same engine type.

Apart from that - 10 aircraft are currently listed as 'unidentified customers' with another 20 ordered under "Amadeo" (which will begin taking deliveries in 2016) - which have yet to identify an engine option for the type.

In short - the aircraft might not sit long with EADS, but their lenght of stay will likely depend on discounting them, or shifting production to account for them in the run - to other clients - of which, there are options above.

[LUNN]

Skymark claim Airbus were not willing to talk nor decrease number of aircraft or offer smaller ones inplace of them.

[AA 1818]

A Nipponese speaker will have to verify the translation, however as was quoted publically here;

Nishikubo also expressed some reservations about the A330 fleet plan, stating that while the airline had funding in place for the first two aircraft, the third and subsequent deliveries could be impacted by the performance of Skymark's domestic operation as well as the success of its initial international service.

http://www.aviationwire.jp/archives/31836

Nishikubo currently holds a 30% stake in the carrier, the largest at the company. If the situation is that fragile, then perhaps EADS was wise in not wishing to extend upon said fragility.

I wish the airline the best of luck, and truly wish for their success - however, their recent shift from LCC to Premium carrier is one that is both risky and perhaps emblematic of a carrier still hoping to find its footing. Admirable, yes - but also risky. They are coming under increasing pressure on the lower end of the cost spectrum from the growing market share of many new Japanese LCC (Air Asia and Jet Star - among two of whom have established long-haul carriers that one can connect easily onto).

I can see where EADS would be cautious here. Let's see how this change in business plan pans out, prior to financing a batch of new aircraft.