"Assembly of Airbus super-airliner starts"

Friday, May 7, 2004

Assembly of Airbus super-airliner starts
A truly enormous plane, an even bigger hangar to build it in, talk of a
revolution in air travel, extravagant promises of airborne casinos, bars and
shops. We've been here before. 
By Tom Symonds 
United Kingdom - The BBC


As the assembly of the Airbus A380 super-airliner begins, it is becoming
apparent that in many ways its advent is just history repeating itself. 

Back in the mid 60s, almost the same claims were made for the Boeing 747
jumbo jet. 

It would carry more passengers, 400 to be precise, and enable airlines to
slash costs. 

But the A380 has been designed for its time, and that means
building-'em-big. 

Environmental credentials 

There has been a huge increase in demand for air travel. 
 
This allows airlines to use even bigger planes than the 747, with less fear
that they may fly with empty seats. 

The size of the A380 means it can take a third more passengers than a jumbo
jet, about 555 people, so that fewer flights will be needed to carry the
same number of passengers. 

Slots in and out of major hub airports are at a premium. 

And in the UK particularly, there's pressure to limit airport expansion. 

Airbus also promotes the A380's environmental credentials -- it does 95
miles to the gallon per passenger. 

This is said to be less than its competitors. 

Big airports 

It is a sales pitch that has attracted orders from 11 international
airlines, a total of 129 A380s to date. 

But what sort of business model are they signing up to? 

Put simply, A380s will fly to around 60 big airports around the world, the
hubs. 

After all, it is a big plane and not all airports can handle it. 

Crucially, passengers wanting to get to smaller cities will have to
transfer. 

Luxury 

Airlines will have to convince passengers they want to fly with as many as
500, and potentially 800, people around them: This is a plane that will have
four aisles. 

More passengers per plane could create the potential for delays. 

And that is a big issue, especially when added to the increased security
procedures on the ground. 

Perhaps to avoid criticism that its plane is designed to be 'cattle-class',
Airbus has carefully marketed the A380 as a luxurious way to travel, its
promo videos oozing spacious inflight shopping, showers, bars, and
libraries. 

The full size mock-up of the plane in Toulouse, France, even has an onboard
waterfall. 

There is space for all this, but it is a brave airline that doesn't fill
that space with more seats. 

No competition 

As the production of the first A380 begins, hopes are high that it will be a
business success. 

The share price of EADS, the Airbus majority shareholder, has risen as a
result. 

But the A380 is partly flying high because it doesn't have an obvious
competitor. 

Boeing, the creator of the 747, pulled out of the race to build the world's
biggest airline in 2001. 

Instead, Boeing is offering airlines an alternative model.

Rather than building them big, it has decided to target the middle of the
aircraft market. 

Its new 7E7 Dreamliner was launched in April. 

Airlines' dilemma 

Dreamliner is designed to replace the existing 757 and 767 airliners which
are getting old. 

Because it is smaller, carrying 230-300 passengers, it is arguably more
flexible than the A380. 

Boeing believes the 7E7 can serve both short and long-haul routes. 

"Big jet ranges, with smaller jet sizes," as the company puts it. 

This will be good for airlines that want to fly more planes to smaller
destinations. 

It will allow passengers to travel direct, without the need to change. 

So an intriguing question presents itself: Will the airline industry of the
future want the build-'em-big, pack-'em-in A380, or the
all-things-to-all-airlines 7E7? 

New chapter 

It is of course quite possible that they will want both. 

But it is worth noting that the first order for the 7E7 was from Japan's All
Nippon Airways. 

Japanese carriers have been reluctant to sign up for A380s. 

Whatever happens, Airbus has the head start. 

The factory to show off, the full order book, and a date for the first A380
to go into service. 

In 2006 a new chapter will begin in the history of air travel.

Attached Photo's:

Airbus is keen to build an upmarket image for the giant aircraft

Plenty of space may come at a cost for passengers

Dreamt up in the early 90s, production has started of the world's biggest
passenger aircraft, the Airbus A380 (originally A3XX)

The plane was conceived as a rival to Boeing's ageing 747 Jumbo, which, for
30 years, has dominated in the size stakes

The A380 will typically seat 555 passengers, although only a fortunate few
will enjoy the sort of luxury shown in this mock-up

With twin decks running the length of the plane, there will be staircases at
the front and rear

Sections of the plane are individually manufactured across Europe: wings in
the UK; fuselage in France and Germany and tail planes in Spain. By air, sea
and road they will be transported to Toulouse, France, for final assembly

Airbus has 129 orders for the A380 "superjumbo" on its books. The first is
due to go into service in March 2006

Meanwhile, America's Boeing is staking its future on the new, mid-size, 7E7,
after scrapping plans to stretch the Jumbo

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