Airbus A380 news

[convair]

Wasn't there a fully female crew on an A380 AF flight last year or earlier this year (on "women" day)?

[galaxy]

Patricia Haffner flew as first female captain ever on a A380 in 2009 . She is flying for AF , and yes , Convair , there was a fully female crew on an A380 flight of AF last year.

http://www.gentside.com/avion/une-femme ... t8981.html

http://corporate.airfrance.com/en/press ... male-crew/

[sn26567]

Lufthansa A380 service to Delhi postponed

Lufthansa was supposed to have launched an A380 service to Delhi at the start of the winter timetable on Sunday — but it never happened. It had to instead make do with one of its smaller, more conventional B747-8s.

The alteration is the result of Indian bureaucracy as the local authorities have not yet issued the relevant paperwork. This is all the more surprising when you consider that this A380 service had been publicised for months both by Lufthansa itself and the global media.

Mumbai has only one gate capable of taking A380/B747-8 size aircraft. And then, for some reason known only to Mumbai airport officials, Lufthansa was jilted at the last minute in favour of Emirates.

So while Lufthansa was forced to surrender to Emirates at Mumbai, Delhi would go ahead as planned... until the present situation arose, which leave many local travellers unsatisfied.

The A380 — which has not been purchased by any Indian carrier — is a very popular aircraft with local travellers. The A380s of both SIA and Emirates, the two foreign carriers already taking their A380s to India, report very high load factors.

More details: http://www.businesstraveller.com/news/1 ... -postponed

[thalenoi]

Qatar plans to fly the A380 from Doha to Bangkok as of 01 December 2014.
They also plan a second daily A380 to Paris CDG as of 05 Januari 2015.
Qatar has a promotion running until 10 November with up to 25% discount.
I booked BKK-DOH-BRU for March-April 2015 on the A380 to DOH and the 787 to BRU all in J

[sn26567]

I booked BKK-DOH-BRU for March-April 2015 on the A380 to DOH and the 787 to BRU all in J

Nice programme. With a little bit of luck, you'll be flying two aircraft which are only a few weeks old. Enjoy!

[capetown]

I booked BKK-DOH-BRU for March-April 2015 on the A380 to DOH and the 787 to BRU all in J

I booked the same trip (also in business) two months ago, departure Dec 27, return flight Jan 23. At that time, there was no mention yet of the A380 flying the route. I checked again and it seems that while my BKK inbound flight will still be on the 777-300, I'll be flying the A380 on the BKK-DOH leg. Looking forward to that ...

[sn26567]

Airbus expects its loss-making A380 programme to reach break-even status by the end of 2015 (just like Brussels Airlines). During the nine first months of 2014, Airbus delivered 21 A380s compared with 14 in the first nine months of 2013.

[sn26567]

Next week, Emirates will launch 3 new Airbus A380 destinations in 3 days: San Francisco, Milan Malpensa and Houston.

[Magiktrix]

Any info about the future of the skymark airplane ? What is the completion state of the aircraft ?

Here is a video of the green airplane making some flight test.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_9z16zeo_NQ

[galaxy]

"Emirates raps Airbus for A380 comment, dangles huge order

The head of Dubai-based airline Emirates has reacted angrily to a suggestion by Airbus (AIR.PA) that it might stop making its A380 superjumbo airliner, telling Reuters it could double its investment if the planemaker agreed to upgrade the A380 instead.

Tim Clark, president of Emirates, said he had protested to Airbus after its finance director aired the possibility of ending production of the flagship jet due to poor sales.

"I am not particularly happy as you can imagine," Clark said in a telephone interview.

"We are on the hook for this plane. I get pretty miffed when we have put so much at stake."

Harald Wilhelm told analysts on Wednesday Airbus would break even on the A380 through 2018, "if we would do something on the product, or even if we would discontinue the product".

The unusually frank remark reflected an internal debate over the future of the world's largest airliner but is the first time Airbus has publicly contemplated winding down the project - one of several scenarios in a review first reported by Reuters.

Others include slowing production or investing together with Rolls-Royce (RR.L) in an improved engine, which Clark said would improve fuel consumption by 12 to 15 percent from 2020."
http://www.reuters.com/article/2014/12/ ... W020141211

[sn26567]

Airbus says will re-engine or stretch A380 at some point

The head of Airbus Group's planemaking unit said the company will one day launch a version of its A380 with new engines or a stretched version as it seeks to find new customers for the super jumbo.

"We will one day launch a 380neo, we will one day launch a stretch. This is so obvious there is extra potential," Fabrice Bregier told investors on Thursday (11 Dec.).

His comments come a day after the group's Finance Director Harald Wilhelm said the project would break even in 2015 and stay in balance through 2018, whether it decided to improve or discontinue it.

The talk of a potential end to the A380 program drew an angry reaction from top customer Emirates on Thursday.

http://www.reuters.com/article/2014/12/ ... WB20141211

[sn-remember]

Tim Clark scrapped the A350 deal while pushing for a 380-neo. Meanwhile he committed to purchasing 150 B777-8/900.
Still he promises a potential additional 140 380-neo order.
Whatever TC's plans, I fail to see the business case for a380-neo.
Is he aware that he does not otherwise support Airbus on the twin engine field, while he is the only customer to require an updated version of the A380 ?
It seems to me that the B777-8/900 program put the A380 future case in serious jeopardy.
Maybe a combi neo-version (stretched or not) could help the program ?
Could actors like CX,JL,CA,CI,TK, be lured into such an offer (not mentioning the existing customers) ?
I know about the fire proof tight specifications a combi requires, possibly working out a fire-proof wall between an aft cargo hold and a front pax cabin (both 2 deckers) could solve the concept ? I don't know, just a proposal ...

[sn26567]

Rolls-Royce and Airbus near accord over A380neo

Rolls-Royce is strongly supporting plans for both the A380neo and the potential A380-900 stretch

Airbus is accelerating its studies of an upgraded A380 and, after talks held last month with engine makers in Toulouse, appears to be closing on an initial agreement with Rolls-Royce.

Rolls-Royce is discussing a variety of all-new engine options ranging from derivatives of the A350’s XWB-84/97 to the future Advance project unveiled earlier this year.

Although Rolls-Royce declines to comment on the A380 situation, the transition to a potentially greater thrust engine could provide for higher gross weights or presage the long-anticipated development of the A380-900 stretch. The development cost for the baseline A380neo is estimated at around $2.5 billion, primarily because of the structural revisions required for the wing, and is expected to take around four years.

Story in Aviation Week

[Desert Rat]

QTR in BKK

[sn26567]

The first A380 for Etihad Airways was at the same time the 150th A380 delivered by Airbus!



It comes together with brand new uniforms: a change from their dull grey!

[sn26567]

During his speech on the delivery of the first A350XWB to Qatar Airways, Airbus CEO Fabrice Brégier said it's "just crazy" to think that Airbus could cancel the A380 programme as it breaks even in 2015.

What will be the next step? An A380-800neo or a A380-900 stretch?

[sn26567]

All you want to know about the $500 million A380 of a Saudi prince

Saudi Prince Alwaleed Bin Talal purchased a $300 million Airbus A380 and is spending an additional $200 million remodelling the plane into a flying palace that makes Air Force One look like a hunk of junk.

It will be the largest and most expensive private plane in the world, with the following features:

Prince Alwaleed's Airbus A380 is being completely stripped and remodeled with the following mind blowing luxuries:

- One parking space for his Rolls Royce
- Concert hall with grand piano, seating for 10 and stage for private entertainment
- Marble tiled steam room with spa treatments
- A "wellbeing" room complete with flat screen TVs on the walls and floors that shows passengers what they are flying over
- Five master bedroom with king sized beds, private bathrooms and showers
- 20 smaller private rooms
- Private elevator that connects the master bedroom to the tarmac for quick entrances and exits
- Boardroom with holographic monitors
- A prayer room with computer monitored prayer mats that automatically adjust to face Mecca

All details: http://www.celebritynetworth.com/articl ... blow-mind/

[galaxy]

All you want to know about the $500 million A380 of a Saudi prince
- A prayer room with computer monitored prayer mats that automatically adjust to face Mecca

Not even a flying carpet ?

[sn26567]

According to some sources, Turkish Airlines would be in talks with Airbus for around 10 A380 jetliners. This would be the first new order since November 2013.

http://reut.rs/1z22BdP

[sn26567]

Emirates is introducing 2-class A380 with a 615-seat configuration. The initial destination will be Copenhagen.