You want the A380 to be a failure?

[EuroWheenie]

TonyC

Don't remember us having a discussion over the composition of the sea and the colour of the sky, but I'm willing to go down that road if it'll lead to an interesting debate

bofecus

The US airline industry may not need the A380, but then again apart from NW and UA they don't need the 747 (pax version) either. In either case, there are around 150 confirmed orders that prove you wrong including most of the major Asian airlines (every single one really, except CX, JL and ANA) and that's where the market is. As for you bringing down this discussion even further by alledging it's a contest over EU vs US lifestyles ... nah, won't go there. Let's just say that the EU countries does not display a single way of life as is the case in the US. There are vast differences in both culture, governance, democracy and politics. Europe range from pretty far left (Socialist Portugal) to pretty far right (Ultra-liberalistic Italy) with everything imagineable in between.

Don't know who it was, but someone said (correctly according to what I've learned here about the 787 orders and LoI's) that the 787 has outsold the A380. Yep, and the A320 series has outsold the 747 which proves absolutely f. all. They are hardly competitors. A more correct comparison would be A350 vs 787, where Boeing has more or less swept the carpet away under Airbus. And jolly good for them it is too!

Now if Boeing would just take advantage of the momentum gained with the 787 technology, downscale it and launch a 737 replacement then the tables would truly be turned and we would have Boeing taking the lead. There are rumours that the 787 will be cockpit compatible with the 777; imagine a single-aisle family aircraft that was also common - a major unque selling point of Airbus would then vanish.

 

[bocefus]

Ahhh Detroit, that pretty much splains it,

 

[surplus1]

Talk about shallow, you seem to be enamoured of that way of life, why don't you move back? I for one am thankful that my forefathers had the gumption and wisdom to leave that God foresaken place, leaving the crap behind and taking along the few positive features.

Congratulations! A perfect example of the absence of both objectivity and thought. There is no need to say more, you've done it for me.

 

[ProLine4]

Another issue that has not been addressed in this particular discussion is the fact that of the 154 ordered frames, Emirates (EK) is responsible for 43, a 27% portion of the backlog. Before anyone says it, yes this has occured with Boeing new aircraft programs too...Pan Am and the 747. Not to start a completely different discussion, but many within the industry are skeptical that EK can maintain such ambitious growth plans and eventually become a 1 billion RPK/year airline. I'll leave it to Typhoonpilot to provide any other information beyond that.

Anyways, if EK cannot maintain their current growth plans and business model, there could potentially be some deferrals or swaps to smaller aircraft in the Airbus family. Airbus is certainly open to this decision (UPS's recent cancellation of 37 A306F in exchange for 10 A388F, as an example), but again this brings up the problem that, at least according to their media releases, they'll need to sell 250 frames in order for the project to break even. Assuming they made that calculation on list price for the A380, they'll need to sell well beyond that number given the fact that such customers as EK, Singapore (launch customer), and Virgin Atlantic were certainly given substantial discounts off the list price.
Beyond EK, most operators have not ordered large numbers of the airplane despite Airbus's claim of a demand for 1,250 500+seat aircraft within the next 30 years. British Airways has publicly stated they see no immediate need for the A380 given that their oldest 744s are only 15 years old, and their next project will be the 767-300ER replacement around 2010. JAL and ANA have not placed any orders yet to provide additional capacity on the Intra-Japan shuttle markets currently operated primarily with 744D and 773. To sum it up, from an orders perspective alone, Airbus will likely be fighting a tough battle in the years to come.

 

[bocefus]

Ahhh, now the Euroman is an industry analyst/expert. We can argue this forever, please hold on to my posts that the A-380 will be a commercial failure in terms of sales versus cost to produce. In short order this will be evident. Also please hold on to my post that the subsidies issue will come to a head soon, and it won't be favorable to you, the EU and Airbus.

"Congratulations! A perfect example of the absence of both objectivity and thought.", Yah, unlike this revelation, "How quickly you forget that what you call "our way of life" is born of European parentage. Shallow."

 

[TonyC]

Ahhh Detroit, that pretty much splains it,

You haven't the foggiest notion, friend.


I suppose we should judge you based on the European fashion line featured in your Avatar and the juvenile group of letters listed in your Profile under "Ratings"?


Your belly's jigglin', and it don't look purty.

 

[bocefus]

Judge as you wish Elvis, I'll match ratings, total time and experience with you anytime, I don't feel the need to impress the kiddies here

 

[TonyC]

Judge as you wish Elvis, I'll match ratings, total time and experience with you anytime, I don't feel the need to impress the kiddies here

Ratings, time, and flight experience are meaningless in this discussion. Intellect would be helpful. You're embarrassing yourself. I tired to warn you.






.


EDIT: I noticed a typo and endeavored to repair it. I intended to change "I tired to warn you" to "I tried to warn you", but realized it may have been, instead of a typographical error, a fitting Freudian slip. Observing that, I'll let it stand as written.

 

[EuroWheenie]

bofecus

My favourite opponent, let me tell you something. There is no such thing as the 'United States of Europe' and, in if you're thinking in the same sense as United States of America, there never will be.

There are huge cultural differences, different languages, different political systems and different social systems. We don't even have the same currency (Denmark, Sweden and the UK not being in the Euro) and not even the Schengen agreement reaches across all EU member states (The UK and Eire opting to stay out) whereas non-EU countries are Schengen members (Norway and Iceland).

What the EU is, is a common market that's slowly evolving into a more tightly knitted society. But there is not, and nor is there planned to be, a common 'federal' tax policy which, I trust you'll agree with, is a rather vital component of an integrated bundle of states a la the USA. VAT may be harmonized, but then again it may not. We will not abandon our individual parliaments, but some areas such as defence and foreign policy may be coordinated via the EU. The proposed EU constitution (which, incidentially, looks set to be voted down) mandates that countries may opt, on a case-by-case basis, to agree or not to EU foreign policy.

Denmark opted to stay out of the Defence, Social and Monetary agreements, as did the UK. The 'Grande Armee' plan is largely a French/German idea which has the backing of, among others, the Netherlands, Greece and Italy.

In short, we're 24 different countries and we'd like to keep it that way. Yes, there are many areas where further cooperation would be mutually beneficial, and there are others where it would not. The Scandinavian nations will not give up their welfare model in favour of lower taxes for some, just like the UK won't give up having the lowest tax rates in the EU in favour of adopting the Scandinavian welfare model.

As for the "kiddies" comment. Why, thank you mate! I'm well on my way to be pushing 40, and is slowly feeling the effects that has on my body. It's been ages since I've been called a kid. Thanks, you made my day there

 

[EuroWheenie]

Surplus1

On the subject of global economy vis a vis the 787/A380 debate. I find it comforting that the A380 will be standing on an American (BFGoodrich?) main landing gear, whereas the 787 will be standing on a French (Hispano-Suiza?) ditto. The irony in that has got to get a few knickers in a twist on this site