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  • A380 - production ends in 2021

    Airbus announced today that because of low demand the production of A380 will end at 2021. It wasn't a pretty plane, but still, it's sad news...


  • #2
    Originally posted by pawelm View Post
    Airbus announced today that because of low demand the production of A380 will end at 2021. It wasn't a pretty plane, but still, it's sad news...

    https://www.theguardian.com/business...-of-superjumbo
    Quite a quick production life for such an iconic aircraft. Personally I really liked the aircraft and the engineering achievements surrounding it, hopefully the ones that are still in service or due to enter before 2021 keep on flying for a good few years after production ends.

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    • #3
      Originally posted by Jordan Williams View Post
      Quite a quick production life for such an iconic aircraft. Personally I really liked the aircraft and the engineering achievements surrounding it, hopefully the ones that are still in service or due to enter before 2021 keep on flying for a good few years after production ends.
      Well, Emirates alone has over a hundred of them plus 19(?) still in order, so I don't think they will be able to replace them anytime soon

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      • #4
        I governi franco-tedeschi, ad onta delle direttive dell'unione europea(che come noto non valgono per i francesi e per i tedeschi), hanno sovvenzionato un progetto nato già vecchio, non dal punto di vista tecnologico, ma dal punto di vista economico, solo ed esclusivamente per poter affermare il loro insulso ego e quella “grandeur” di cui soffrono soprattutto i francesi. Emblematica, da questo punto di vista, è la condanna da parte del WTO di UE, Germania, Francia e Spagna per i 22 miliardi di dollari che hanno concesso in 10 anni ad Airbus, riconoscendo che questi aiuti hanno generato un "danno reale e sostanziale" alla rivale Boeing. I sussidi riguardano i progetti A300, A310, A320, A330/A340, A330-200, A340-500/600 e A380.

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        • #5
          With the A380 being phased out of passenger service, will we see freight conversions picking them up or does something make them unsuitable for that role?

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          • #6
            Since there is no dedicated freight version of the A380, this is also mean there is no ground equipment to handle them as a freighter. I doubt that it will be economical to convert them PLUS invent and invest in completely new ground handling equipment just for one aircraft type. Also, two 777F have the same number of engines as an A380 and give the operator much more flexibility.

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            • #7
              Originally posted by Evan View Post
              With the A380 being phased out of passenger service, will we see freight conversions picking them up or does something make them unsuitable for that role?
              For sure no as long as you have enough 747's to satisfy that demand. Interesting articles about this posted there.

              --- Judge what is said by the merits of what is said, not by the credentials of who said it. ---
              --- Defend what you say with arguments, not by imposing your credentials ---

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              • #8
                Putting the flight deck on the lower deck probably didn’t help freight conversion potential.

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                • #9
                  Originally posted by HalcyonDays View Post
                  Putting the flight deck on the lower deck probably didn’t help freight conversion potential.
                  That's true. Now, the floor in the A380 is a structural element needed to support the pressure vessel, so you will need to keep both decks separated. Perhaps it would be possible to make it front-loading in the upper deck, and perhaps even putting an elevator to lower the cargo from there to the lower deck. Of course that would be terribly expensive, but it gets worse: While the A380 has much more volume than the 747, it does not have much more useful load. Meaning that you would be able to carry very big things as long as they are not very heavy. And then you start to think why Boeing is not building more DreamLifters, a plane that already exists and is certified and flying, and realize that the A380F will never exist.

                  --- Judge what is said by the merits of what is said, not by the credentials of who said it. ---
                  --- Defend what you say with arguments, not by imposing your credentials ---

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                  • #10
                    The cost of conversion to the aircraft would be enormous but the cost of development and production of ground equipment to facilitate the loading would surely be astronomical ?
                    If it 'ain't broken........ Don't try to mend it !

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                    • #11
                      World's biggest water-bomber?

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                      • #12
                        Interesting article on Forbes about the A380.

                        Airbus just announced that it would stop producing its Superjumbo A380.

                        It's an outcome that rival Boeing anticipated about 25 years ago when it outplayed Airbus with a brilliant bit of judo strategy (using Airbus's strength against itself), according to my 2008 book, You Can't Order Change: Lessons from Jim McNerney's Turnaround at Boeing.

                        To be sure, I've flown in the A380 to Dubai a few times and found the Emirates flight to be very comfortable -- even in economy class.

                        On February 14, Airbus announced that with Emirates orders tapering off, it would stop making A380s in 2021, according to the Wall Street Journal.

                        But the very existence of the A380 was a product of Boeing cleverly taking advantage of Airbus's ambition to defeat Boeing in the market for jumbo jets -- thus diverting it from trying to replicate what Boeing thought would be the far more successful 787.
                        20 years ago Boeing foresaw the demise of Airbus's A380 and bet on the 787 Dreamliner. Buy its stock if you think Boeing will keep placing the right bets on a bright industry future.

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                        • #13
                          Originally posted by Evan View Post
                          World's biggest water-bomber?
                          Hm. You mean, Wasserlöschflugzeug mit Düsenantrieb? I just tried to translate your word for people in Germany. So, if that's the word which we both are lookin for, I'd say,
                          No.
                          The A388 never in its history served as a fire engine, as far as I know. And, it was on German Television, inauguration flight 2005. Back then they held big ceremonies at
                          SIAE Le Bourget. World News, The biggest passenger jet on Earth.

                          But since I celebrate my avatar with more than 50 years in the air, B747 inauguration flight happened February 1969, the planned ceremonies in Toulouse for 2020 have been shrunk.

                          Can we find a reason why this biggest passenger jet of all times will show a crash landing in 2021, after not more than sixteen years in production?!

                          Yes. And that's not only my opinion, since the 747 is 50 years in the air, somebody has said, and necessarily was not Chief Executive Officer Enders of Airbus,
                          'In the year 1999, we wondered if we are too early with the idea of an intercontinental passenger jet which needs the 80x80 meter box.'

                          No. Back then in 1999, the 747 yet has been in the air for 30 years (!). The A380 idea came at least three decades too late.

                          Plus my five words. 1 Nobody 2 spent 3 money 4 for 5 the 80 x 80 meter box. At least not BEFORE the A388 was ready to fly, in 2005.

                          If you ask me, I would never try to invent a car for the US Americans, before I'm sure that it fits into their garages! Plus, a car which is bigger than each and every US American car.. Plus, my home airport was never supported by the LH-A388.

                          So what do we talk about here. A super huge aircraft which came three decades too late to be supported by men like me. Or too early, before the following list of airports said yes to that fat a/c.
                          80 x 80 meter? You can help me with airports who today, not quite 14 years after the A388 inauguration flight, are able to provide enough space for this fat baby:
                          EDDL
                          EDDF
                          Heathrow
                          CDG.

                          Imho, that's it, in Europe. If you know more, this topic is open for you. Let me continue with intercontinental A388 traffic:
                          Dubai
                          Sydney
                          Los Angeles, proved with LH-A388 traffic, March 2nd 2019.

                          Again that's it?! For more, even me needs help. And you can be sure, if somebody needs help who since 30 years observes the international air traffic, that's no good for an a/c!

                          Hong Kong? No. LH-B748i.
                          Rio de Janeiro? Even better. LH-B744!
                          Ezeiza? No. LH-B748i.
                          San Francisco, which is my avatar? No. LH-A346.

                          A successful story in my eyes is different. But why. Did somebody ask SFO if they are able to provide the 80x80 meter box, back then in 2005?

                          Even here at my home airport, nobody asked us if we have enough space for this obese jet aircraft! The result is, today, 14 years later here we have A388 traffic, but never with my favorite airline.

                          Hard words, but here at EDDL, nobody asked for the A380, not since I am an aviation enthusiast. And why. Well, I don't know who paid the extension for one or two EDDL parking positions, from previously 70x70 meter, which since 1970 always has been big enough for NW-B747, LT-TriStar or even for this cute little bird:

                          LH-B748 at Lohausen, February 2018

                          So, why should somebody on Earth try to find space for a wingspan of 80 meters, if 69 meter fit everywhere?!
                          ?!
                          Too big and three decades too late: Airbus A380.

                          So, after 2021 there again the 70x70 meter box is enough to be the biggest bird in the skies?

                          It definitely seems like that!
                          The German long haul is alive, 65 years and still kicking.
                          The Gold Member in the 747 club, 50 years since the first LH 747.
                          And constantly advanced, 744 and 748 /w upper and lower EICAS.
                          This is Lohausen International airport speaking, echo delta delta lima.

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                          • #14
                            Not quite sure where you are heading here with the box size, LH-B744... There are plenty more airports in Germany, in Europe, and around the world that get A380 traffic than the ones you have mentioned...
                            I think the problem with the A380 was the size and the inferior economics of 4 engines. Basically, this also killed the 747, although the 747 had a successful run at 50 years which the A380 didn't have. Even if Airbus hadn't built the A380, and assuming that every customer who bought the A380 would have bought 747s instead, that would have added "only" another 300-something planes to the 747 production list. I believe that even without the A380, the 747 would be where it is today, heading into the twilight.

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                            • #15
                              Originally posted by LH-B744 View Post
                              So what do we talk about here. A super huge aircraft which came three decades too late to be supported by men like me. Or too early, before the following list of airports said yes to that fat a/c.
                              80 x 80 meter? You can help me with airports who today, not quite 14 years after the A388 inauguration flight, are able to provide enough space for this fat baby:
                              EDDL
                              EDDF
                              Heathrow
                              CDG.

                              Imho, that's it, in Europe.
                              That’s NOT it. To my knowledge, in Europe A380s visit Frankfurt, Munich, Düsseldorf, Amsterdam, Paris CDG, Nice, Barcelona, Madrid, Vienna, Prague, Milan, Rome, Zurich, Moscow (I think SVO), London LHR and occasionally LGW, Manchester, Birmingham, Glasgow, Copenhagen. There may be others on occasional schedules, eg. Dublin, Stockholm. And that’s just Europe.

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