http://norris.blogs.nytimes.com/?p=3D80 November 7, 2006, 2:57 pm = Time to Kill the A-380? Question for the day: Would Airbus be better off if it just dropped the A-380 program, or = if it kept trying to build what is likely to be an overpriced white = elephant? The best bet may be to keep stalling and finding new problems to = delay the program, while doing everything possible to get moving on = the A-350 that will compete with Boeing=92s 787 Dreamliner. That way, = Airbus can hope more airlines will follow FedEx in canceling orders, = a decision that would minimize damages Airbus will owe airlines that = have orders in. Instead, I assume that Airbus will eventually get the plane built, = and with all the wiring crammed in. (An inability to get the wiring = right has been the excuse so far.) Then the market reaction will = arrive. Let us briefly examine the virtues (or lack of same) of this plane, = as seen by various constituencies. Airports: Hate having to expand and reinforce runways and build new = facilities for a plane that plans to load and unload from two levels. = Would like being able to move more people with fewer flights. Airlines: Some airlines, notably in the Mideast, see a chance to = become worldwide hub-and-spoke operations, flying A-380=92s between = continents and thus serving the whole world even though there is not = that much business to their country. Others see an opportunity to = cram in unprecendented numbers of passengers while not having to use = up precious landing slots at busy airports. For cargo carriers like = FedEx, the plane could be useful on high volume routes. Passengers: I think many will hate it. How would you like to line up = at customs having just gotten off the back of the second or third A- 380 to arrive? Would passport control take longer than the flight? But the real killer will be that Boeing=92s 777 can fly almost anywhere = = in the world non-stop. An airline offering service direct on that = plane will have a huge advantage over one offering connecting service = on the A-380. My bet is that airlines will find the hub-and-spoke = plan does not work well, and Airbus will find it very hard to sell = more planes, while early customers, having found their business = strategies did not work, are trying to unload used planes. In the long run, passengers will get what they want. 6 comments so far... 1.November 7th, 2006 9:23 pm totally agreed with writer. A380 is indeed a shows project = for the EU. What is the breakpoint to sell the plane? Bet no other = customers than those whom have booked the initial launch. Bet the final price will not even pay off the R+D to this project. = Project was a saga in this modern era. Now they=92re trying recoop on = the A350WBX another plane in the =91air=92 as this one sits on the groun= d = with =91wiring=92 hiccups. what hiccups =85is on the books for customers= to = know till they operates. Better to fly with those planes that works then works on the planes = that sits. = =97 Posted by desmond chiang 2.November 8th, 2006 1:22 am With the cost of travel so high wonder where they=92ll find = enough customers? The ripoff attitude of today=92s travel industry has = made the experience tense and unpleasant. It=92s the penny anteness of it all which so irritating. For example, = the few bucks for the room safe you don=92t use. Unpleasant just having = = to ask get it removed because of the risk they won=92t leaving the = customer embarrassed and irritated. = =97 Posted by MARK KLEIN, M.D. 3.November 8th, 2006 3:01 pm Yes, I think A380 is not going to make it. It seems to be = poorly designed and meant for non-existent market. = It takes a lot of money and long time to develop flying machines. We = know that oil is becoming more and more expensive. So, we should = start designing more economical flying machines. = I claim that Airbus should kill A380 and use the money instead on = developing modern Zeppelins. The future is going to have fewer jets = and huge number of Zeppelins. = =97 Posted by Matti Kinnunen 4.November 8th, 2006 3:09 pm While I am an enormous supporter of Boeing and their market = research, which said anything larger than the 747 was just not needed = in our world at this time, it would be insane for Airbus to try and = end their A380 program now that they have invested billions. It would = be economic suicide. I think it is also wise to keep in mind that the = first generation 747-100 was also two years late, and was the = standard for international travel for more than 2 decades. Innovation = has a price, and I support airlines flying where they want and how = they want. Customers always get what they want - welcome to = capitalism. The A350 XWB - I don=92t think Airbus has a choice. They have to go = forward with it, but they are so far behind that it will be a long = road to capture whatever part of the market is available. Airlines = WILL buy it though because they value competition. = =97 Posted by Andrew 5.November 9th, 2006 3:20 am Why don=92t we let the market decide what airplanes the = airlines will buy. Don=92t forget the A380 is equivalent to B747 when it first fly in = 1969, Airbus has a learning curve in terms of producing the airplanes. My dad is a pilot he flew both Airbus planes and Boeing planes = before, in terms of flying the airplanes Airbus makes it easy for = pilot to fly their planes compare to Boeing, they are way ahead in = terms of automating the pilot work load. = =97 Posted by Donny Agustiady 6.November 9th, 2006 10:03 am In a way, Airbus has a lot in common with AirBush = administration! = =97 Posted by Dennis Ferguson The best slide auction on the net: http://www.auctiontransportation.com/sites/psa188/