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A380 - Complete Article
A380 - Complete Article
AIRLINES
Economies of scale
AIRPORTS
Geared for growth
CARGO
Taking on the 747
INTERIORS
Room to improve
TECHNOLOGY
Systems revolution
38 MASS TRANSIT
The A380 Freighter
faces a tough fight in
the cargo market with
its incumbent rival, the
Boeing 747, but Airbus
is confident its superior
range and economics
will win through
Size shift
IN MY VIEW
Now that the A380 has taken to the skies, the debate over whether
❝
of air travel
❝ the 555-seater will exert the same influence over the market as
Boeing’s 747 did in the 1970s begins in earnest
SAEED AL-MAKTOUM WHEN BOEING’S 747 JUMBO JET spective, the A380 is the largest step-
CHAIRMAN, started criss-crossing the world’s major change since Concorde. The sheer size
air routes in 1970, it changed the game of the aircraft has dictated that Airbus
EMIRATES
for the airline business. Never before adopt smart new engineering solutions,
had airlines been able to sell 375 seats from the structure to the hydraulic
IN MY VIEW in one aircraft and fly people across system. As with all new technologies,
the Atlantic. Later the aircraft became there will be teething troubles. The
AIRBUS
even better, flying more people further manufacturer and airlines expect this,
than ever. but with the impact of a technical
It has taken 35 years, but finally the delay being magnified by the aircraft’s
747 has a challenger. Not only that, it size, all are working furiously to ensure
has a rival that Airbus has deliberately the A380 is as mature as possible on
designed to take a step-change in size. service entry.
By almost every physical measure, the
A380 leapfrogs the 747, and if Airbus Steep learning curve
❝
sticks to its promises, the aircraft could On the ground, airports have never
have seat-km costs 15-20% better. seen anything as large as the A380 and
So, to mark the A380’s public debut are spending millions to handle it.
aeronautical
at the Paris air show, this first-ever joint Despite the best-laid plans, the learning
achievement in many special report written by Airline Business curve for airlines and airports will be
decades. I think that and Flight International steep as London Heathrow, Singapore
the number of orders – which includes our Changi and Sydney Kingsford Smith
A380 cutaway poster will discover late next year.
the aircraft
❝
will grow rapidly as
– asks whether the
giant will change
In the air, the double-deck
A380 will instantly give
proves itself the game in airlines 30% more
STEVEN the same way seats than the
the 747 did 30 747 and
UDVAR-HAZY
years ago.
CHAIRMAN, Without
ILFC doubt, from a
technological per-
❝
Installed thrust (lb) 280,000 252,000 +11%
Cargo payload – Freighter (t) 150 113 +33%
List price ($million) 272-292 198-227 +37% to +29%
increase capacity
at the world’s slot-
As the A380 greater real estate than they’ve ever more complex than they were 30 years constrained airports
takes off,
its biggest
had to play with. They are promising
much for the interiors of their new
ago. Today smaller widebodies such as
the A340 and 777 have made major
– that alone means
it is vital to
❝
challenge is aircraft, but the hard truth is that it will inroads into what were once traditional
our future
yet to come be bums on seats – and a lot of them 747 markets. The passenger-carrying
– that will determine whether airlines 747 fleet has been in decline for several
make money with their new produc- years. CHIEF EXECUTIVE,
tion tool. As a money-maker, some are Thirty years ago, there were those SINGAPORE
even keener on a stretched A380. Then who doubted whether the 747 would
AIRLINES
there is the prospect of all-economy be a success – even some within Boeing
A380s shuttling 700 people on trunk itself – as supersonic transport beck-
routes. oned. But rapid traffic growth meant IN MY VIEW
As an all-cargo transport, the aircraft the Seattle-based manufacturer’s gam-
KEVIN PHILLIPS
offers one-third more payload than the ble paid off. Airbus, too, is delivering
747 freighter. The ubiquitous Boeing the A380 into an economic upswing,
is far from finished as a freighter, although it is by no means as strong.
however, as a raft of new and converted But other factors are at play, such as
747s are entering the cargo arena. competitive pressures and uncertainty
Clearly, if the A380 is to mirror the over how new markets will develop.
747 in changing the And perhaps the biggest unknown is
game, both for whether capacity constraints really will
❝
manufacturer drive carriers to larger aircraft.
Airbus and Airbus has gained widespread
operators, it is industry praise for making the A380 a
market pen-
etration that will
reality, but as the flight test programme
gets under way, its biggest challenge is
air travel like the
747 did in the
❝
count. While in yet to come. 1970s
sales terms the A380
GEOFF DIXON
has got off to a solid Max Kingsley-Jones Mark Pilling
start, the dynamics Commercial Managing Editor
CHIEF EXECUTIVE,
of the high-capacity Aviation Editor Airline Business QANTAS
long-haul market are far Flight International
FRENCH FROGS AIRSLIDES
Cruise speed
After an initial flurry of orders from
seven customers when the aircraft was
launched in 2001, Airbus has added
a couple nearly every year since (see
graphic). By the end of May, Airbus had
announced 154 firm orders and com-
mitments for the aircraft. These include
orders this year from China Southern
Airlines for five A380s and from UPS
for 10 A380 Freighters. Bagging these
WITH THE FIRST FLIGHT OF ITS NEW customers means Airbus has already
In the four years since the A380 super jumbo on 27 April, Airbus took met Leahy’s target of two new custom-
was launched, Airbus has built a a giant step in proving to the world
that its A380 is the technical marvel it
ers a year. “This is a good cruise speed,”
says Scherer.
solid order book for the aircraft, promised. Now, as flight testing ramps
up, it is the task of John Leahy, Airbus’s Healthy order book
although some observers have raised super salesman, to translate technical He acknowledges that Boeing hotly
into commercial success. disputes the size of the market for very
allegations of heavy discounting Well over a year before the aircraft large aircraft, but believes the healthy
enters service, the Airbus sales team has state of the order book to date proves
and question the size of the market, reason to be pleased with its efforts so airlines are ready for the A380. “We
far. “We have been very agreeably sur- put our success down to the relevance
reports Mark Pilling prised by the pace of our pre-first flight of this aircraft,” says Scherer. “We are
orders, not only for the passenger ver- planning to produce more or less 40
sion, but particularly for freighters, and aircraft a year. If you look at our 150
are a bit ahead of where we expected orders, that represents over four years
to be,” says Christian Scherer, Airbus of production that is already taken.
deputy head of commercial. This aircraft is a production tool that
4 THE FLIGHT GROUP JUNE 2005 w w w. f l i g h t i n t e r n a t i o n a l . c o m
drops an airline’s costs 15-20% – you that the US manufacturer was not
want to get your hands on it if you can consulted about their approach or the
afford it.” conclusions.
So far, 12 passenger airlines, both
of the world’s largest express package Heavy discounting
carriers, and one lessor have ordered A key element of the report states that
the A380. Emirates – with its 43 orders Airbus has been heavily discounting
– is by some distance the largest the A380. It suggests airlines have
customer. Airbus forecasts a demand been paying launch prices of $130
for around 1,600 A380-sized passenger million to $145 million, a huge 40%
and freighter aircraft over the next 20 discount from earlier catalogue prices
years – mainly as a 747 replacement, of $240 million to $250 million. Airbus
especially in congested hub-to-hub quotes the A380’s current catalogue
operations – and it is confident it can price as $272 million to $292 million,
capture at least 50% of that market. and Scherer says the alleged discounts
Boeing is convinced carriers prefer mentioned in the report are a work of
smaller and more efficient airliners, fantasy: “They’re bullshit, with a capi-
like its 250-seat 787 and the 300-360-
seater 777, to operate on point-to-point
“We’re meeting our target tal B and a capital S.”
Scherer will not reveal the price cuts
routes. However, it does see a market
for 535 aircraft of over 400 seats (and
of adding two customers a Airbus does offer, but says he is “still
amazed at the gossip that goes around
equivalent-sized freighters) over a year – this is a good cruise this industry when it comes to aircraft
similar time period, and is studying transactions. Compared to normal
whether to upgrade and stretch the speed” commercial practice, are we doing
747 to offer a 450-seater – the 747 extraordinary things to get this giant
Advanced – from 2009. Christian Scherer, deputy going? No, we’re not.”
At this early point in the A380’s Scherer says he is comfortable with
life, nobody knows how successful the
head of commercial, Airbus reports that the company is a “little
w w w. f l i g h t i n t e r n a t i o n a l . c o m THE FLIGHT GROUP JUNE 2005 5
BOEING
“Airbus constructed a business case for
the A380 and we are doing very well in-
deed compared to that. That wouldn’t
be the case if we were running around
discounting the hell out of it to get the
numbers up. It is the relevance of the
aircraft that is driving demand.”
Scherer admits that in the early
days of the programme, some people
wondered whether the size and price
of the aircraft would demand a new
dynamic in sales and financing. “Even
in our company, people had a little
stage fright. But it is not a different way
of selling – it is business as usual.”
However, the A380 sales process
has benefited from an industry trend
towards deals that tie in more wide- The Prospective A380 customers
ranging performance guarantees, and a
deeper level of manufacturer support.
emergence
of the 747
Passenger airlines 747-400 fleet Who’s next?
British Airways 57
“We are selling to very large, sophisti- Advanced has Japan Airlines 44 A look at the largest Boeing 747-
cated airlines and there are a number slowed a few United Airlines 31 400 operators that have not yet
of ways and there are a number of areas A380 sales China Airlines 30 ordered the A380 clearly shows the
where we can customise transactions to campaigns All Nippon Airways 23 main sales prospects for Airbus.
suit the needs of the airlines.” KLM 22 British Airways, along with the two
Cathay Pacific Airlines 19 Japanese majors, are key potential
747 Advanced threat customers. Today BA is concentrat-
Northwest Airlines 16
As Airbus begins flying the A380, EVA Air 15 ing on debt reduction, but could
Boeing is being pressed by carriers to Air China 12 order A380s in 2008 for 2010 deliv-
decide whether to launch its 450-seat ery as it upgrades its fleet alongside
Air India 11
747 Advanced. Although a couple the opening of London Heathrow’s
Air New Zealand 8
of A380 sales campaigns have been Terminal 5.
South African Airways 8
slowed down by the possibility of car- For several carriers, A380 orders
Asiana 6
riers choosing the 747 Advanced, it is depend on whether Boeing launch-
El Al 5
“not a major threat”, says Scherer. It is es its 747 Advanced. China Airlines,
mainly cargo and not passenger carriers Japan Airlines, Cathay Pacific and
Cargo airlines 747-400F fleet
that have been taking time to evalu- Cargolux fall into this category. All
Korean Air Cargo 16
ate the 747 Advanced. And, as Scherer Nippon Airways is a medium-term
Singapore Airlines Cargo 14
notes, the notable size difference prospect after 2010 and is currently
Cargolux 13
between the aircraft means they are ad- evaluating its large aircraft strategy.
Atlas Air 11
dressing different market segments. In the USA, United Airlines is not
Asiana 6
There will be even more clear blue in the financial shape to place new
Cathay Pacific Airlines 6
water between the 747 and the A380 orders, although Northwest Airlines
Polar Air Cargo 6
when the Airbus aircraft is stretched is seen as a longer-term prospect,
to hold around 650 passengers. Air France 5
but not before 2010.
Traditional aircraft development sees KLM Cargo 3
Air China could become the next
a more powerful aircraft with a higher EVA Air 3
A380 customer with an order before
Top 15 747-400 passenger and top 10 747-400
gross weight, giving more range, com- year-end for 10 aircraft, with two
Freighter operators not committed to A380/A380F
ing first. These improvements are then being leased from ILFC.
Source: AvSoft ACAS database
fed into a stretched variant which has
the range of the original aircraft.
Emirates has already said it would But the commercial team is playing much it will be stretched,” says Scherer.
snap up the proposed A380-900 stretch down the next steps for the aircraft The manufacturer may even go
if it became available. “There is no for the time being. “Clearly there are against convention and launch the
doubt that we will order the stretched growth plans for this airplane and we stretch first. “An increased capacity ver-
A380. What we’ve got now is the mini would expect airlines like Emirates to sion has a good chance of coming first
version,” says Maurice Flanagan, vice- be interested, but it is not decided yet because I don’t see any challenge on
chairman, Emirates group. when this will take place or by how range at this point.” ■
Airbus has built plenty of growth
potential into the A380 – “We have
not designed an aircraft with an
“There is no doubt that we will order the stretched A380. What we’ve
845m2 wing for nothing,” says the got now is the mini version”
programme’s senior vice-president
engineering, Robert Lafontan. Maurice Flanagan, vice-chairman, Emirates Group
6 THE FLIGHT GROUP JUNE 2005 w w w. f l i g h t i n t e r n a t i o n a l . c o m
Parental
billion) and €1.9 billion, respectively.
Despite having abandoned civil aircraft
construction in its own right, 20%
shareholder BAE also makes almost
one-fifth of its revenues and profits
from Airbus.
guidance
At times, the media’s focus on
Airbus seems almost to frustrate EADS’s
senior management, who repeatedly
stress the importance of its defence,
civil helicopter and space divisions.
EADS’s strategy of developing the rest
of its business has been reasonably
successful. The launch of the Airbus
A400M military transport, the signing
of the four-nation Tranche 2 order
The A380’s entry into service could be the catalyst for big changes for Eurofighter, Eurocopter’s strength
in Airbus’s complex ownership structure. But it will be far from easy in the US civil rotorcraft market and
the turning around of the ailing space
to avoid upsetting the delicate balance of national shareholders. arm have all boosted EADS’s prospects
outside the civil aircraft market.
Murdo Morrison reports from London But in the eyes of many, EADS and
Airbus are one and the same and their
fortunes inextricably entwined. When
a major Airbus order is announced,
IT HAS LONG BEEN ASSUMED the business through shares traded in EADS shares get a boost; when worries
that the A380’s entry into service next the Frankfurt, Madrid and Paris stock emerge over Airbus costs or market
year will be the point at which the exchanges. The French government share, the price wobbles.
French and German shareholders of also wants the best value for its taxpay-
Airbus’s parent, EADS, will begin an ers, but has a desire to keep a strategic Window to sell
orderly retreat from aerospace. Privately and political hand on the tiller of The 12 months following the A380’s
owned French media company Europe’s big aerospace project. entry into service in late 2006 has
Lagardère, the French government and In the five For several years, Airbus has been a been seen as an obvious window for
German car maker DaimlerChrysler years since cash cow for its two shareholders, EADS the main shareholders to sell. The
control 15%, 15% and 30% of EADS, the creation and junior partner BAE Systems, as it first airline flights of Europe’s highest-
respectively (see chart over). For differ- of EADS, has slowly wrested market leadership profile civil aircraft programme since
ent reasons, each has been looking for Airbus has in the airliner market from US rival Concorde will command headlines all
an exit from the industry. That may become a Boeing. In 2004, Airbus accounted for over the world and within months,
now not be so straightforward. much bigger nearly two-thirds of EADS’s revenues hundreds of thousands of passengers
Machinations between French player and almost four-fifths of its net earn- will have flown on the double-decker.
politicians and the two governments
AIRBUS
over the appointment of chief execu-
tives at EADS and Airbus and a mooted
mega merger with French defence giant
Thales have made a smooth withdrawal
more complicated than it might have
been a year ago. There is also the sug-
gestion that Airbus’s performance in
the market may entice Lagardère and
DaimlerChrysler to hold on to their
stakes for a bit longer.
Lagardère and DaimlerChrysler
ultimately both want to concentrate on
their core businesses of publishing and
selling cars. The French government
is keen to divest itself of its remaining
industrial shareholdings, but under
the right terms. Not surprisingly, both
Lagardère and DaimlerChrysler will
seek to get the best price for their
stakes in EADS, which could be offered
to private and institutional buyers.
Investors (including a number of US
financial houses) already own 30% of
8 THE FLIGHT GROUP JUNE 2005 w w w. f l i g h t i n t e r n a t i o n a l . c o m
“BAE would come under pressure from The French government’s role is also
crucial. Its 15% stake in EADS dates
pen, with Lagardère and the French
government selling their stakes in
the UK government not to sell [its stake from when state-owned Aerospatiale
was merged with Lagardère’s Matra
EADS to allow the merger to go ahead
and the balance between overall French
in Airbus]. It’s a huge mistake to think defence division just before EADS itself and German interests maintained.
was created in 2000. Airbus and EADS Another complication comes from
of it just as a liquid asset” really matter to the French. Not only Spain. The 2000 deal gave the Spanish
do they create high-tech jobs, but the state – through its holding arm SEPI
Industry analyst French state sees Airbus as a symbol of – a 6% stake in EADS. In exchange,
its world status. As for the rest of EADS, state-owned Casa, a partner in the
the Paris government is sensitive about former Airbus Industrie consortium,
Airbus will finally be generating rev- its defence assets falling into overseas was bundled into EADS. Now Madrid
enues from A380 customers to begin hands. It has a direct or indirect stake wants to raise cash from Spanish banks
paying back the $12 billion invested in its four main suppliers – EADS, to increase its stake closer to 10%. It
in the programme. All that is likely to Dassault, Thales and missile house believes this would give its industry a
ramp up the stock market price and MBDA. If the French government and bigger slice of EADS’s and Airbus’s R&D
deliver Lagardère and DaimlerChrysler Lagardère sell their stakes, the pressure and industrial investment. But the
the windfall they seek. For Lagardère, will be on to find a “friendly” domestic French and German partners are not
there is another benefit in selling after buyer, says one analyst. keen for taxpayers’ money to be used
2007 – that is the point at which the to ramp up Spain’s shareholding.
company no longer becomes liable for Delicate balance While a question mark hangs over
capital gains tax on any sale. According The delicate French-German bal- the future ownership of EADS, there is
to one analyst, the media giant’s sug- ance within EADS is important. EADS also the suggestion that BAE may sell
gestion that it is waiting for the world and Airbus were created as European its 20% stake in Airbus. Under the deal
to accept the A380 is a “smokescreen” projects – the balance of ownership that set up the current Airbus entity in
and tax is the real reason for its desire delicately divided between the national 2001, BAE must offer its stake first to
to sell in two years’ time. aerospace champions of France and EADS if it wants out. There are differing
But recent events have cast doubt Germany, with Spain’s Casa given a views on BAE’s thinking. It has made
on whether that window of oppor- smaller stake. BAE Systems, which re- no secret of its ambition to be one of
tunity still applies. If the A380 and mained outside EADS, retained its 20% the top five US prime contractors and a
Airbus’s other products perform better share in Airbus after its reorganisation transatlantic defence giant, but Airbus
than expected over the next two years, in 2001 from consortium to integrated still gives it political and industrial
the temptation may be for Lagardère company. Politics and national ambi- clout. It reaps the benefits of invest-
and DaimlerChrysler to keep their tion played, arguably, a bigger role than ment across its defence programmes.
shares a bit longer. Both have pressing pure market forces. Cracks began to
demands on investment: Lagardère is appear in the EADS marriage last year Pressure not to sell
keen to develop its on-line media inter- when rumours emerged that the French Being part of Airbus gives massive
ests; DaimlerChrysler needs to spend government was pushing for a merger kudos to a UK government that has
on new product development in the with Thales – which would have given seen several of its other big aerospace
car industry. With Airbus performing the French a bigger shareholding than entities fall into foreign hands or close.
strongly, the gamble might be between the Germans. The plan is believed to “Airbus gives BAE very strong access
cashing in on a valuable asset or hang- have been vetoed by DaimlerChrysler, politically,” says one analyst. “You get
ing on for increasing returns. although some believe it may yet hap- rid of that at your peril. BAE would
come under immense pressure from the
UK government not to sell. It’s a huge
mistake to think of it just as a liquid
asset it can sell whenever it wants.”
Ironically, the final obstacle to any
change in EADS and Airbus ownership
might come from the USA. The current
spat between Washington and Brussels
over subsidies and tax breaks for Boeing
and Airbus could drag on for years if
the World Trade Organisation wades in.
At risk could be state-provided loans for
developing the A350, Airbus’s answer
to Boeing’s mid-size 787. Doubts over
such a crucial programme may put a
very different complexion on Airbus’s
– and therefore EADS’s – attractiveness
to investors, no matter how well the
A380 performs between now and the
end of its first year of service. ■
Additional reporting by Helen Massy-
Beresford
10 T H E F L I G H T G R O U P J U N E 2 0 0 5 w w w. f l i g h t i n t e r n a t i o n a l . c o m
All change
says the development team also had to
contend with another possible hurdle
– reorganisation. “On the very same
day the A380 was launched, Airbus
became an integrated company. We
came out of a system where we had five
balance sheets and five separate entities
– four ex-partners plus Airbus – where
we now have only one.”
Airbus has created its biggest, most technically advanced airliner Under the old consortium structure,
each programme had four programme
ever, and at the same time undergone a complete restructuring of directors, each responsible for his own
profit and loss. There were also four
its organisation, writes Max Kingsley-Jones from Toulouse chief engineers, each in charge of his
workshare of the aircraft.
“On top you had an Airbus person
in charge of the relationship with
WHEN THE A380 PROGRAMME appointment. Thomas had steered the customers, co-ordinating and manag-
became a reality on 19 December 2000, A3XX concept from its beginnings in ing technical issues at aircraft level
the senior executives of the team that the early 1990s as Airbus’s answer to and performing the flight tests,” says
had brought the ultra-large airliner the perceived global need for “ultra- Champion. This could result in “big
from the concept to definition stage high-capacity airliners” to succeed the fights” between the various parties
stepped aside to make way for younger Boeing 747. He had formed Airbus’s when there were issues to resolve.
blood. But it was not just the execu- Large Aircraft division in an off-site “We’ve shifted to a mode where
tives that were changing to make the office adjacent to the Airbus head- we have one chief engineer – Robert
A380 happen, for Airbus was about quarters near Toulouse-Blagnac airport Lafontan – who is in charge of the
to undergo the biggest transforma- and, with his team, set about shaping whole aircraft,” says Champion. Below
tion in its 30-year history, with its the double-decker into an aircraft that him, instead of the traditional four “na-
four shareholders becoming two and would provide Airbus salesmen with tional organisations”, the programme
the manufacturer being reorganised the best product for the market place. was broken down into “physical
from its consortium structure into an deliverables associated with the aircraft
integrated company. While this revamp Building a new Airbus itself – we didn’t follow the lines of the
was essential for the A380 to succeed, it But soon after the A380 launch with national borders but the lines of the
also created another potential difficulty 50 commitments from six custom- industrial border”. This resulted in the
in what was going to be a complex ers, Thomas handed the reins over to creation of integrated development
period in the manufacturer’s history. Champion to manage the transition teams across Airbus for the first time.
The man chosen to succeed Airbus from paper project to revenue-earning This saw the co-location of engineer-
legend Jurgen Thomas at the helm long-haul workhorse in less than 72 ing and procurement staff, as well as
in December 2000 was Frenchman months after the go-ahead. representatives from the risk-sharing
Charles Champion (then 45 years old) “The A380 is the first fundamentally partners and vendors.
– an ex-Aerospatiale engineer who new Airbus to be developed since the The A380 development was broken
had been running Airbus’s single-aisle A320,” says Champion. “And when we down into nine international air-
production immediately before his launched the programme in December craft component management teams
12 T H E F L I G H T G R O U P J U N E 2 0 0 5 w w w. f l i g h t i n t e r n a t i o n a l . c o m
AIRBUS
management and improves response effort did not change the A380’s overall
time and efficiency, says Champion. configuration, it created “big debates
“Now, for example, we have one person across the whole team and this allowed
in charge of the whole wing, and the us to have a better design base”.
teams all report directly to him. So if
there is an issue with optimising an Design targets
interface, that trade-off is within the The CDBTs were given targets for
scope of the head of the wing team.” various aspects of design responsibility,
The nine ACMT groups are: such as weight and parasitic drag levels.
• Forward fuselage Each system team also has specific
• Aft fuselage targets for direct maintenance costs,
• Wing mean time between unscheduled
• Empennage removals, and despatch reliability.
• Propulsion (including pylon) “Unlike previous programmes, the
• Landing gear and associated systems team does not only cover engineering
• Cabin and cabin systems and manufacturing aspects like
• Systems (excluding above) recurring costs, but also support costs,”
• Final assembly line says Champion.
Below the ACMTs are about 100 The level of ground testing un-
component design-build teams (CDBT) dertaken on the A380 programme
and between the two, at the intermedi- is unparalleled, with Airbus having
ate level, there are component manage-
ment integration teams. Champion
built fully integrated “aircraft zero”,
“cabin zero” and “landing gear zero”
“Depending on who
adds that although the reorganisation
did not cause a fundamental change in
rigs in Toulouse, Hamburg and Filton,
respectively. On top of that, bench tests
you speak to, the A380’s
the workshare split, despite some initial of every significant component of the technology step is
difficulties, it has resulted in the A380 aircraft are being undertaken across
being a better aircraft. Airbus and its vendors. somewhere between that of
“We could have made the A380 “We’ve invested more in testing
with the previous organisational struc- than ever before,” says Champion. the A320 and Concorde”
ture, but I’m not sure we would have “And we decided to do additional test
achieved the same weight and perform- rigs, which were not part of the original Charles Champion,
ance – these are better because of the business case, so as not to spend more senior vice-president,
integration of Airbus,” says Champion. money later on, and to improve the
“Under the previous structure, the maturity and early detection of issues A380 programme
time, effort and cost required to solve usually found during flight-testing.”
issues were much greater.” An example of this is extra struc-
A by-product of the integration was tural tests carried out on the A380’s adds just a few kilos to weight.”
what Champion describes as a “British composite/metal rear fuselage section. Despite all the pre-flight testing,
idea” – the creation of “tiger teams” to Airbus decided to undertake a previ- Champion is sure there “will still be
challenge each ACMT’s thinking on de- ously unplanned “rear-end test” of the surprises” now the A380 is airborne.
sign. An example of this is how Airbus complete aft section with simulated “We have a step gap of technology
was able to mitigate the programme’s loads as a “risk mitigation” and to vali- on the A380, so even though we put
potentially disastrous weight growth in date the design as soon as possible. much more effort into maturity before
the early days. During the rear-end test, Airbus the first flight, the sheer fact that the
“Four months into the programme, suffered a highly publicised breakage, complexity of the aircraft is much
when we had the first bottom-up but Champion says: “Because the loads higher will mean we will
calculations on the weight, we were were not representative, we considered have glitches. But these
TIM BROWN
way over target – double-digit in terms A380 doing nothing. But after discussions, should be in the areas
of tonnes,” says Champion. “I spent development because we had identified a sensitivity where we are not
part of the summer of 2001 in the UK, was broken to lateral loads that was higher than fully repres-
where we established tiger teams with up into nine anticipated, we decided to reinforce entative on
the French, Spanish and Germans to management the THSA [trimmable horizontal the test
challenge the [UK-based] wing team.” teams stabiliser actuator] bracket, which benches.” ■
w w w. f l i g h t i n t e r n a t i o n a l . c o m T H E F L I G H T G R O U P J U N E 2 0 0 5 13
Home
comforts Airbus is introducing a raft of new technologies on
the A380, not least in the cockpit. David Learmount
reports from Toulouse on the new systems developed
for the giant
❝
ated artificially – an easy task with
digital systems. This begins with the
feel of the controls, says chief test
will be significantly pilot Jacques Rosay. A given sidestick
lowered compared to displacement will produce the same
the other long-range
aircraft on the
❝ result in the A380 as in the relatively
tiny A318, even if greater inertia means
market it will take a little longer for a change
in flight trajectory to take place.
JEAN-CYRIL Immediately after the first flight, Rosay
SPINETTA said: “Within the first minutes of the
CHIEF EXECUTIVE, flight, we [he and fellow pilot Claude
Lelaie, senior vice-president flight
AIR FRANCE
division] were impressed by the ease of
handling of the aircraft, which was in
line with what we had felt in the simu-
lator. We have no doubt any Airbus
pilot would immediately feel at home
in the A380.”
No revolutions here, then. Yet
Rosay and executive vice-president
engineering A380 programme Robert
Lafontan insist the aircraft is, in many
ways, more revolutionary than the
Aerospatiale/BAe Concorde was in its
day. They do not claim any one system
makes it so – it is the total package.
To illustrate this claim, Rosay sum-
marises the flightcrew’s four traditional
14 T H E F L I G H T G R O U P J U N E 2 0 0 5
IN MY VIEW tasks in managing any aircraft – to fly, ployment state of high-lift devices, and
to navigate, to communicate, and to on the ground the PFD shows the taxi-
ETIHAD
❝
flight control computer performance. centre pedestal replace the wheels.
Normal law delivers full flight envelope
protection (FEP), alternate law feels Navigation system
create an environment
similar to normal law but delivers less The navigation system gives the pilots
that complements FEP, and direct law means the control active guidance as the aircraft starts
our intention to make signals completely bypass the FEP its pushback. On the ground, the
everybody feel like a
distinguished
❝ software and direct the primary flight
control surfaces as if the aircraft were
navigation display (ND) automatically
presents the airport navigation system
conventionally controlled. The aircraft function, easing the crew’s task of find-
guest
has a fly-by-wire rudder system, but ing their way round the world’s airports.
DR SHEIKH AHMED to sense and deal with sideslip more In the A380, checklists are called up
BIN SEIF AL NAHYAN quickly and precisely than previous on the aircraft’s electronic centralised
types that have only accelerometers aircraft monitor (ECAM), and as each
CHAIRMAN,
– although it has those too – the A380 check is completed, it changes from
ETIHAD AIRWAYS has three sideslip sensor vanes on the blue to green. In flight, the ND, which
nose. is rectangular in the “portrait” sense,
Also to aid the flying task, the includes in its lower sector a verti-
primary flight display (PFD) may look cal profile of the aircraft’s actual and
similar to that on current Airbus types, planned flight path relative to the ter-
but it also sports a trim position indica- rain, showing all the constraints, such
tor (TPI), schematics indicating the de- as minimum safe altitudes or decision
16 T H E F L I G H T G R O U P J U N E 2 0 0 5 w w w. f l i g h t i n t e r n a t i o n a l . c o m
by both electrical and hydraulic actuators. There OIS functions like a class 3 electronic to upload flight information, weather,
is one 150kVA generator per engine, two on the flight bag (EFB), but is not yet fully NOTAMS, load sheets and flight plan,
auxiliary power unit, and the ram air turbine integrated. Chandler says that if the and any amendments for the NSS ops
(RAT) has a rotor diameter of well over 1m, with a pilots wanted any supplementary infor- domain. “The load sheet will appear as
75kVA output. The RAT produces electrical power mation after dealing with a failure, “to- one of the items on the OIS screen,”
only. The aircraft has three flight-management day they would normally get out one says Chandler. From the OIS take-off
systems, but Lafontan says it needs only two – the of the manuals, but in the future those performance module, the crew can en-
third is to heighten dispatch reliability. manuals will be in the OIS. One of the ter the derived take-off speeds into the
things we will do – by taking signals flight management system (FMS).
Performance from the avionics side of the NSS – is to Airbus is working on setting up a
Lafontan says the challenges even before pro- offer the crew links to the appropriate link to transfer highly specific informa-
gramme go-ahead, taken together, required a pages in any of the documents”. tion – such as performance data – to
major advance. He lists the need to: exceed by When A380 pilots key in the aircraft reduce the chance of manual transcrip-
significant margins the mission-capability, econom- weights to calculate take-off perform- tion errors when entering data into the
ics, comfort and performance of the Boeing 747; ance, Chandler says this will “in the FMS, but Rosay says extremely strict
meet today’s considerably more stringent safety short term” be performed with an EFB protocols will be needed for this.
and environmental certification standards; and – the weights will be entered manually Chandler says information that is
make the aircraft viable for operation at existing into the OIS performance module. This already in the FMS, such as the airport
airports. is done using either pilot’s pull-out ta- and departure runway, should transfer
ble QWERTY keyboard and cursor con- to the OIS easily, “so it will actually
Materials usage trol. A USB stick or other data-bearing come up with the page, for example,
Components and structure made of composite unit could be plugged into the system for Heathrow runway 27L”. ■
materials comprise 25% of the A380 by weight,
which compares with 10% in the A320, 16% in the
A340-500/600 and about 3% in the original A300. Meeting the design challenges
The main parts where metal alloy components
AIRBUS
have been replaced by composites are the centre Airbus spent much of the last decade
wing box, wing ribs, upper deck floor beams, and refining its design for the A380 under
almost the entire tail section and empennage. the “A3XX” project name, but was
A composite/metal laminate material, Glare, has faced with some major challenges in
been used for a significant proportion of the up- the months before the launch follow-
per fuselage. More use has been made of the less ing feedback from customers.
dense alloy aluminium lithium than was originally “When designing the A380, the
planned. Airbus says this is because although vari- first challenge was not to make a
ations of it have been available for a long time, it ‘copy and paste’ of an existing prod-
is now more mature as a specialist material. uct,” says the programme’s senior
vice-president engineering, Robert
Active load alleviation Lafontan. “We decided to have a sig-
The A380 will use its own version of passive load nificant step over the 747 in passenger
alleviation using the fuel-management system. capacity and mission…and a double- Lafontan: three months to refine design
This will be deployed for wing-bending relief and digit operating cost reduction.”
centre-of-gravity control, but it is not a funda- With the A3XX concept fully starting point was a revamp of the
mental advance on the principles adopted in the defined by the start of 2000, the sales engines’ design to make them qui-
A340-500/600, just a more mature, more sensitive team received authority to offer in eter, says Lafontan: “We increased the
system. The A380’s load alleviation advances are mid-2000 and began securing launch engine fan size by 6in [15cm], the na-
mainly in active load control, having a system that commitments. The reaction from celle diameter by 9in and lengthened
enables more sensitive recognition of any ma- airlines was good and commitments the nacelle by 20in to have more
noeuvre to enable faster control surface reaction. rolled in, but it was not all good acoustic treatment to be quieter.”
This is achieved through the use of sharper control news, says Lafontan: “Market feed- Airbus also introduced a “droop
software algorithms and better sensors – such as back was to be quieter, to have more nose” concept for the inner slat
the three sideslip detector vanes on the aircraft’s range and more cargo volume.” which would enable the aircraft
nose – just below the cockpit windscreen, in ad- The major drive was the require- to fly a steeper take-off trajectory,
dition to accelerometers. The sideslip vanes are a ment to comply with the most reducing community noise levels. But
first in a commercial transport aircraft. stringent night-time departure noise there were some serious knock-ons.
requirements – dubbed “QC2” – at “All these changes meant we needed
Digital mock-up systems London Heathrow which gave the to redo the iteration on the engine
Extensive use of digital mock-ups during the most headaches. In fact it was a integration to the wing, which of
design and manufacturing process enables closer condition of Singapore Airlines’ order course impacts the escape-slide instal-
interface with customers, and better “design and resulted in Airbus delaying the lation, and the rotor-burst and flutter
loop” between component manufacturers and delivery target by several months. characteristics,” adds Lafontan.
assemblers. It also enabled the final assembly With Airbus anxious to launch He achieved the objectives, the
building and line to be optimised before construc- the programme by the end of 2000, customers were happy with the re-
tion. Finally, component maintenance access could Lafontan says his team “had three vamped version and Airbus launched
be tested before design/layout is finalised. months” to refine the design. The the A380 on 19 December 2000.
18 T H E F L I G H T G R O U P J U N E 2 0 0 5 w w w. f l i g h t i n t e r n a t i o n a l . c o m
FOR THE FIRST TIME IN OVER 35 ecutive Steve Ridgway. “The A380 will jump. “To be honest, it isn’t a gargan-
years, carriers have the opportunity be a perfect antidote to the Heathrow tuan leap in size,” says Ridgway, whose
to make a step-change in the capacity slot constraint problem and will enable carrier will go for 500-550 seats in its
they can offer with one airliner. When us to continue growing.” A380s. “Our Gatwick-based 747-400s
Boeing’s 375-seat 747-100 entered serv- SIA’s senior executive vice-president are already at just over 450 seats.”
ice with Pan American World Airways (operations and services) Lt Gen Bey Whatever seat densities airlines go
in January 1970, it was a huge leap Soo Khiang says: “The A380 is impor- for, there will be capacity hikes in the
in capacity compared to the 250-seat tant to our overall capacity growth and most competitive markets. “There is go-
McDonnell Douglas DC-8 Super 60, fleet renewal strategy. It allows some ing to be a price and capacity war, for
which had been the largest commercial capacity growth without frequency in- example on the kangaroo route,” says
jet airliner. At the time, the DC-8 and crease along routes which are currently David Stroud, managing director of
the 140-seat Boeing 707 were the main- slot-constrained. UK-based Airport Strategy & Marketing.
stays of the intercontinental fleet. He reckons there will be some “real
The A380 does not offer quite such Radical changes hub battles”, particularly in Asia, where
a jump in size as that from the DC-8 to “It is still premature to say if radical Bangkok, Kuala Lumpur and Singapore
the 747, but with most carriers plan- changes will take place in the mar- will all have home-base A380 operators.
ning 490-530 seats in it, many will be ketplace with the introduction of the The aircraft “creates pressure on these
selling about 30% more seats than a A380. For instance, the launch of the hubs because they will need to fill all
typical 747-400 flight. For leading A380 747 almost 40 years ago brought down these A380s up”, says Stroud, but its
customers, the early network planning the per seat-mile operating cost because arrival also “re-energises the hub”.
is perhaps the easiest, with the aircraft of its larger capacity and improved
placed on the obvious trunk routes. technology. Also, it altered the concept Feeder networks
For launch operator Singapore of air travel because it carried more Asian airports with expanding A380 op-
Airlines (SIA), the “kangaroo route” people over longer distances. But the erations have to start thinking harder
between Australia and Europe via its extra capacity did not radically change about developing their feeder networks,
Singapore base will be a key market for the marketplace as was predicted by he says, and about the increasing influ-
its A380s. Routes apart from Singapore- some, mainly because of the pent-up ence of low-cost carriers in the region.
London and Singapore-Sydney will demand for air travel at that time.” Because these carriers usually do not
be announced in due course, says SIA, But will something similar hap- interline, their feed role diminishes, he
which adds it will not change the pen this time? “Some routes are ready adds. The growth of Dubai as a con-
frequency of service on its A380 routes today for the A380,” says Chris Tarry necting hub for Europe-Asia traffic is
because there is growth to be had. of the CTAIRA consultancy. The bigger another major threat to the Asian hubs.
“The natural A380 routes will challenge will be to generate the feed “There are already some big flows out
be tackled first,” says Dr Joachim required to fill A380s on the second of Dubai and it is doing some damage
Schneider, vice-president A380 entry wave of routes on which it will operate. to Singapore Changi in particular,” says
into service at Lufthansa. “We will look “The issue airlines face is they have got Stroud (see box on p22).
at routes that have such a high demand to be able to aggregate demand over a Competitive pressure will also ramp
that even today they could use more hub,” says Tarry. “Because they have up between Frankfurt, London and
aircraft because of slot or timing restric- more seats on offer, they will have to Paris as Lufthansa, Virgin Atlantic and
tions.” Airbus has long contended that fight harder for the traffic to fill it.” Air France introduce A380s on heavy
the aircraft will play a major role in The seating gap between current transatlantic routes. “The A380 will
allowing carriers to grow at congested three-class 747 configurations and first operate on New York and Montreal
hubs. Virgin Atlantic is a perfect exam- A380 plans differs a lot from carrier to routes, starting in summer 2007, and
ple. Although it is the second-largest carrier. SIA will look to fill 100 more then on Asian routes like Tokyo and
long-haul carrier at London Heathrow, seats on its A380s compared with its Beijing from summer 2008,” says
it still has less than 3% of the airport’s 747s, and Lufthansa will have an extra Jean-Cyril Spinetta, chief executive of
slots to serve its network, says chief ex- 160. But Virgin may have less of a Air France. “The seat-mile costs will be
significantly lower with the A380 com-
pared to other long-range aircraft.”
With seat-km costs advertised at
Feeding time
15% better than the 747-400, the A380
will give operators a significant ad-
vantage over competitors with current
widebodies, says Lufthansa’s Schneider.
“This is the major reason why we
bought the aircraft. We think it will be
absolutely critical for any major carrier
to have that tool available.”
But for now, operators say they will
The arrival of the A380 on some of the world’s busiest routes be cautious about adding too much
capacity. “We will grow into markets
will cause the biggest upheaval in airline network dynamics for as they grow – we don’t plan to swamp
markets and ruin the business there,”
decades. Mark Pilling examines the impact it will make says Schneider. “That is not wise. But
it will be a fast-moving game where
20 T H E F L I G H T G R O U P J U N E 2 0 0 5 w w w. f l i g h t i n t e r n a t i o n a l . c o m
“We will grow into markets as they grow – we don’t plan to initially on routes which are already
growth-constrained through barriers
swamp markets and ruin the business there” such as slots and curfews, we are confi-
dent that the impact will be positive for
Dr Joachim Schneider, Lufthansa both the airlines operating the aircraft
and the consumer,” says SIA’s Bey.
Thai Airways International, which
everybody observes everybody else.” Boeing 747-400 replacement. Some are has six A380s on order, will use its
Ridgway of Virgin agrees, adding: reticent about where they will use their aircraft mostly on high-density routes
“Like all carriers, we need to drive aircraft, but Asia-Europe will clearly to key cities in France, Germany and
down seat-mile costs as yields are not see much of the action, with some the UK. The aircraft will be “all for ex-
expected to recover and the pressure operators extending their services to pansion, not replacement”, says Kawin
on yields will remain. We won’t throw Australia and within Asia. The transpa- Asawachatroj, vice-president corporate
capacity at a market that is suddenly cific will also see some A380 services. product and service development.
over-served. Our initial A380 orders For the most part, Asian carriers
are relatively modest and we can take do not appear to be concerned about Regional routes
a sensible decision on how to integrate the market becoming flooded with so Sang-ngun Pornpaiboonstid, vice-
them into the network.” many extra seats, because many of the president of Thai’s corporate planning
The Asian group of future A380 routes on which the A380 will operate department, says that as well as Europe,
operators generally regards the aircraft already need additional capacity. “With A380s will be used on regional routes
as fitting into an all-new category the A380 being introduced at a time in Asia. “Our European flights leave at
for growth purposes, rather than as a of surging demand for air travel, and night. Leaving here at midnight is a
good time to be arriving in Europe in
Initial A380 destinations the morning. Coming back here in the
Carrier Service entry Main base First destinations morning of the next two days we have
Air France April 2007 Paris New York JFK, Montreal, Beijing, Tokyo the daytime available, so we will sup-
China Southern 2007 Guangzhou n/a plement it in the regional routes where
Emirates October 2006 Dubai London, Sydney, Melbourne we see destinations which fit those
Etihad Airways 2007 Abu Dhabi London, Mumbai, New Delhi aircraft,” she says. “Perhaps in China,
FedEx Express August 2008 Memphis Asia at places where growth is very fast, like
Korean Air Late 2007 Seoul Los Angeles, New York JFK, Paris Shanghai, the aircraft can leave here at
Lufthansa Late 2007 Frankfurt, Munich New York, New Delhi, Singapore, Bangkok 11am or 10am and come back before
Malaysia Airlines 2007 Kuala Lumpur London, Paris, Rome, Sydney the midnight departure to Europe.”
Qantas Airways October 2006 Sydney, Melbourne Los Angeles, London Kawin says Thai is not concerned
Qatar Airways 2009 Doha London about too many extra seats entering the
Singapore Airlines October 2006 Singapore London, Sydney market because loads are already high
Thai Airways Int’l Late 2008 Bangkok London, Paris, Rome on routes the A380s will use. He also
UPS 2009 Louisville China says the planned service improvements
Virgin Atlantic Spring 2008 London Heathrow/Gatwick New York Kennedy, Hong Kong, Sydney, on the aircraft and the fact that overall
Los Angeles operating costs will be lower should
w w w. f l i g h t i n t e r n a t i o n a l . c o m T H E F L I G H T G R O U P J U N E 2 0 0 5 21
JUMEIRAH INTERNATIONAL
phenomenal. We just can’t get account for most of the traffic a whole are “not sustainable”,
enough hotel rooms.” in Dubai’s two largest markets, but he believes Emirates is the
Chairman Sheik Ahmed the UK and the Indian sub- best-positioned carrier there.
bin Saeed al-Maktoum says continent, both of which will “If it’s a question of playing
Dubai is looking to double be served by A380s. Flanagan catch-up, then we are growing
the number of available hotel says about 100,000 ex-patriate faster than anyone,” he says.
beds from 45,000 to between workers are from the UK. This growth has led Dubai
90,000 and 115,000 over the Emirates believes a com- authorities to consider building
next five or six years. Dubai, bination of the local Dubai a new airport along the coast
originally founded as a trading economy, its geographical at Jebel Ali. If it gets the go-
post, has always been the most position at the crossroads of ahead, it is expected to have six
prominent commercial centre key routes between Europe runways and a capacity of 120
in the United Arab Emirates and Asia/Australasia, and the Dubai: “phenomenal growth” million passengers a year.
help attract more passengers and Malaysia Airlines managing director yield erosion, however. “Most of the
maintain yields. “The fact is that if we Ahmad Fuaad Dahlan says the carrier’s airlines will be using the A380 on
deploy it on high-demand sectors, we A380s “will provide much-needed extra high-density long-haul routes,” he says.
should still be able to maintain relative- capacity on existing routes”. Its six air- “There will be a massive injection of ca-
ly high cabin factors,” Kawin adds. craft are earmarked for European routes pacity, which will provide for growth.
Korean Air (KAL) is one of the few and to Australia/New Zealand. “Of the As the A380 is equipped with the latest
carriers that will use A380s on transpa- long-haul routes, the kangaroo route technology and provides better-quality
cific routes. It stresses no final decisions between Australia/New Zealand and service, it will raise the benchmark on
are made, but the aircraft could be Europe contributes significantly to our customer experience and expectations.
operated to Los Angeles and New York coffers,” says Ahmad Fuaad, and there The lower operating cost of the A380,
Kennedy in the USA, and to Paris – all is room for growth in these sectors. He together with the massive capacity
key routes from its Seoul Incheon base. says that for the 2003/4 financial year increase, may exert pressure on yields.”
China Southern Airlines could also to March, the kangaroo route brought
Supply and demand
“We are excited to be having the A380 as part of our long- Analysts agree fares will have to fall for
carriers to fill A380s. “There is no run-
haul fleet before the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing” ning from the eternal: supply and de-
mand economics,” says Blair Pomeroy,
Li Kun, chief operating officer, China Southern Airlines a partner at Mercer Management
Consulting. “We think this spike in
capacity will push yields down in the
use its A380s across the Pacific. It re- in 4.32 billion ringgit ($1.1 billion), or short to medium term until demand
cently firmed up a deal for five aircraft, 56% of total revenue, with an average growth catches up. There will be limits
the first to be delivered in 2007 – ahead passenger load factor of 70%. on the ability of carriers to stimulate
of the Beijing Olympic Games in 2008 “On routes where we are facing local demand. Expect increased levels
– and the last in 2010. Of all the Asian challenges in getting additional slots, of passenger poaching. A380 and other
operators, China Southern will be step- we will be able to deploy this aircraft, big ‘new metal’ operators will continue
ping up most in size, because the other uplifting more passengers at a time to use price and added amenities to
future operators have 747-400s. China using existing frequencies,” says steal competitors’ non-stop traffic and
Southern’s largest passenger aircraft is Ahmad Fuaad. “As Malaysia’s national aggregate it at their hubs.”
now the Boeing 777, which it uses to carrier, we are well positioned in the The worst-case scenario is yields
Los Angeles from its Guangzhou base. region and, with encouraging traffic falling and the A380’s operating eco-
Chief operating officer Li Kun says: growth on our long-haul routes, slot nomics less rosy than expected, hitting
“We are excited to be having the A380 constraints in key destinations and profitability. The industry’s record
as part of our long-haul fleet before the A380’s expected cost advantages, on matching capacity to demand to
the summer Olympic Games begin on we believe there is a strong economic achieve decent yields and profits is not
8 August 2008.” This suggests services rationale for this addition to the fleet.” good. The danger is the A380 will make
will be operated from the capital. Ahmad Fuaad does expect some it even harder to square this circle. ■
22 T H E F L I G H T G R O U P J U N E 2 0 0 5 w w w. f l i g h t i n t e r n a t i o n a l . c o m
facilities. Meanwhile, BAA is making automated system for simultaneous A key matter such as check-in, passport control and
sure London Heathrow, a key A380 positioning. for all A380 baggage handling should be adequate
destination, is up and running for the Costs, as ever, are a key concern. Dr airports to for the A380 without major changes.
super jumbo next year. Joachim Schneider, vice-president A380 consider is Airports usually have spare check-in fa-
BAA has spent a massive £450 mil- entry into service at Lufthansa, says: how many cilities, says Gamper, and often already
lion ($840 million) to make Heathrow “The big question is how to finance air bridges cope with simultaneous 747 operations
A380-friendly, with four gates being it. Our position is that we cannot to use – although staffing of these desks by
built onto what will become Pier 6 afford to raise costs in our business.” the airlines is an important issue.
with connections to Terminal 3. This Some airports, such as San Francisco The problems being faced on the
is scheduled to be ready for the first and Heathrow, have gone for two airside are mirrored on the landside,
Heathrow A380 operations in May or air bridges, one to each deck, with where the A380’s extra size is also
June of next year. There will also be Heathrow operator BAA telling carriers forcing airports to adapt. However,
two A380 gates in Terminal 4 by late they will have to fund a third bridge if regulators and the aviation industry
2006/early 2007. they want it. have come up with a compromise to
Another early A380 airport, Dubai, Dupont says airports that are serv- enable airports to be certificated for
will have the most extensive facilities ing carriers with a high proportion of A380 operations while minimising
for the super jumbo, however. The A380 transfer traffic are the most likely capital expenditure and operational
airport’s new Terminal 3 will have 23 to go for three bridges because passen- disruption.
gates designed to handle the A380. ger throughput will be a priority. “The
A key consideration for all A380 big hubs, such as Singapore and Dubai, Coping with the giant
airports is whether to add a third air are going for three bridges,” he adds. The International Civil Aviation
bridge to smooth the flow of passen- David Gamper, director of fa- Organisation’s (ICAO) Annex 14
gers during turnaround. Airbus initially cilitation and technical/safety at the contains standards and recommended
suggested two bridges to doors on the Airports Council International (ACI), practices for aerodrome reference Code
main deck, as with Boeing 747s. says: “Simulation studies show that F operations, added in 1999 – apply-
it should be perfectly feasible for ing to airports handling aircraft with
Upper deck loading total turnaround time not to exceed wingspans between 65m and 80m and
However, talks with airlines soon led 90min, as for the 747, which is very outer main gear wheel span of between
the manufacturer to realise that an air important for the airports.” Dupont 14m and 16m. For the A380, which
bridge to the upper deck (as well as says airlines’ performance levels differ has a wingspan of 79.8m – just below
one to the maindeck) was the preferred widely in loading and unloading the Code F limit – a runway width of
option because carriers wanted to look passengers. 60m is the prescribed code, whereas the
after their premium passengers, who Gamper says airports may need to baseline for airports that were built to
will generally be seated in this cabin. adapt their departure lounges to take cater for the 747 is the Code E specifi-
Airbus insists two bridges will be more passengers. San Francisco thinks cation of 45m.
adequate, and the option of a third it will need to have at least 620m2 The cost and disruption involved
bridge is up to the airlines and airports. (6,700ft2) to accommodate a typical in upgrading older airports to meet
Frankfurt Main, for instance, is opting A380 load of 555 passengers waiting the Code F requirements for wingspan
for three bridges, and is trialling a new to board. In general, the size of areas led airports, airlines and regulators to
w w w. f l i g h t i n t e r n a t i o n a l . c o m T H E F L I G H T G R O U P J U N E 2 0 0 5 25
Common sense
“Our fear is that a number of these marginal airports will, for Airbus insists the move to allow A380
commercial reasons, seek waivers to Annex 14 requirements” operations at Code E airports is just
common sense. “If you widen runways
Capt Dennis Dolan, president, IFALPA just for the sake of widening, you are
increasing your costs for nothing,” says
Dupont, pointing to the fact that ICAO
has given the all-clear to Code E opera-
try representatives, was set up to tackle down to national civil aviation tions. “At existing airports, the cost sav-
these issues. Europe has some of the authorities, there is likely to be some ings are huge,” he says.
most severe problems in handling the variation between airports, warns Airlines seem fairly confident
A380 because of the number of older Gamper. The shoulder extensions that airports will be able to meet the
airports, says Gamper. AACG has drawn do not need to be paved, he says. airside challenges posed by the A380.
up the so-called “Common Agreement For instance, if the ground is strong “We are pretty satisfied with the work
Document” which proposes agreed enough to support the occasional pas- achieved by Airbus together with the
lesser requirements for safe operation sage of an aircraft, some airports may airport community,” says Schneider at
of the A380 at airports currently unable end up using a grass surface extension Lufthansa.
to meet ICAO Code F. Meanwhile, with stabilised turf and netting, which Airlines can look back to history
ICAO is carrying out a review of the Gamper says would be within the ICAO for reassurance. Pointing to the move
existing Code F specifications and may guidelines as a means of preventing towards increasing runway width and
change them. ingestion of foreign objects such as taxiway separation, Johan Orsingher,
The FAA is not a member of AACG, stones by engines. senior consultant at Frost & Sullivan,
and has not published any guidelines, But Gamper says “the preference notes: “Interestingly, this is the exact
choosing to look at the issue on a case- would be to pave”, and one option method followed in 1975 to make
by-case basis, with airports having to would be for airports to overslab to airports capable of handling what was
apply for a “modification of stand- a 60m width next time they need to then the biggest bird in the sky – the
ards”. To date, only New York JFK has resurface the runway. Boeing 747.” ■
26 T H E F L I G H T G R O U P J U N E 2 0 0 5 w w w. f l i g h t i n t e r n a t i o n a l . c o m
IN MY VIEW THE INSIDE STORY OF THE A380 IS With a floor area nearly 50% greater
one of the most closely guarded secrets than that of the 747-400 and the ability
in the airline business. Launch opera- to put in 35% more seats than Boeing’s
tors and arch-rivals Singapore Airlines jumbo jet, the A380 offers the largest
(SIA) and Emirates are almost paranoid space over its two decks that any airline
about the other getting a glimpse of has ever had to play with. But some
their cabin designs, both in the draw- question whether carriers really will
ing offices and on the production line be able to do anything different when
at Airbus in Toulouse and Hamburg. the economic pressure to make money
“Emirates is going berserk to make sure with the aircraft is paramount.
❝
we put curtains around its aircraft,” “Our intention is to install more
says an Airbus insider. spacious relaxation areas than on other
Like all A380 customers, Emirates aircraft,” says Jean-Cyril Spinetta, chief
comfortable, more
pleasant flight
❝ and SIA are promising something
innovative for their real estate. “We
executive of Air France. “But we must
be realistic. It would be ridiculous to
experience were looking for cabin dimensions that imagine we would have swimming
enable our creative in-house people pools or gambling tables or showers,
CHO YANG HO
and our consultants to give free play for example.” But he adds: “It’s obvious
CHAIRMAN, to their imagination,” says SIA chief this aircraft will offer unprecedented
KOREAN AIR executive Chew Choon Seng. comfort with tailored facilities. The
But so far, most carriers are not cabin interior will be very innovative,
promising the more exotic features but not totally mind-blowing.”
Airbus showed in its initial ideas for the
A380. “If you look at the impression Hard economics
generated from the Toulouse mock-ups, Peter Knapp, creative director at airline
you get trapped in a false direction branding and design agency Landor
seeing things like bars and swimming Associates, says: “Naturally the decision
pools,” says Dr Joachim Schneider, primarily rests on the balance sheet.
vice-president A380 entry into service You will see a few token gestures of in-
at Lufthansa. “Space in an aircraft is novation and ground-breaking design,
the most valuable in the world and we but at the end of the day not many,
need to make good use of it.” and only on a few of the carriers.” The
sheer size of the A380 means carriers
Space race
should recognise how different the de-
sign challenge is, he adds. “The danger
would be to just extend the traditional
language of current aircraft interior
design and scale it up. Designers will
be dealing with a small architec-
tural project. It’s so big, the A380 is no
longer a room – it is now a hall.”
Knapp believes what airlines do
with their A380s could be pivotal
for the future of air travel. “It will
Airlines are tight-lipped about how they will use the determine whether air transport falls
space afforded by the double-deck interior of the A380. into a new era of functionality that
is operationally based, or whether it
Will the aircraft literally be an air bus, or is a new era in puts the romance of travelling back
into the sky.” Boarding an aircraft with
cabin comfort approaching? Mark Pilling in London, 500 or more other people will feel just
like getting onto a bus, he says. “The
Andrew Doyle in Hamburg, Nicholas Ionides in A380 could become the antithesis of
functional transportation.”
Singapore and Emma Kelly in Perth report Although carriers are giving pre-
cious little away about their interior
plans, the talk is of generating a memo-
rable passenger experience. “Being the
first airline in the world to operate the
revolutionary aircraft presents excellent
opportunities for change and innova-
tion, and we are taking full advantage
of them,” says Lt-Gen Bey Soo Khiang,
senior executive vice-president (opera-
tions and services) at SIA. “Because of
the sheer size of the aircraft, changes
28 T H E F L I G H T G R O U P J U N E 2 0 0 5 w w w. f l i g h t i n t e r n a t i o n a l . c o m
video on demand, internet capability flying and the reaction from paying two years from now we will have much
and larger entertainment screens,” says passengers is known. One of these is more reliable systems that keep passen-
Qantas chief executive Geoff Dixon. Thai Airways International, which will gers happy, airline maintenance people
One of the firm details about A380 not take delivery of its first A380s until and investment people happy, so that
cabins announced by carriers so far is the end of 2008 – more than two years is an advantage of having more time.”
the number of seats. Most are opting after SIA – and it says it will have until Suthi Suthiphan, manager of Thai’s
for a three-class configuration but with the middle of 2007 to firm up cabin corporate product planning depart-
far fewer seats than the 555 Airbus plans. What other airlines do in terms ment, says in-flight entertainment in
describes in its standard catalogue of privacy for premium passengers will particular should have developed much
layouts. The least dense layout so far be closely examined, says the airline. more by the time Thai needs to decide
is SIA’s 480 seats, rising to 538 at Air “We are able to wait and see how on its A380 fit-out. “By the year 2008,
France and about 550 at Lufthansa. the first airlines that operate it initiate when we get our aircraft, there will be
new in-flight entertainment systems
“We can wait and see how the first airlines to operate the that are very efficient and can provide
better services to passengers.”
A380 initiate things and we can see the market reaction” Suthi also says seating technology
will have improved and be ready for
Songsak Namwong, Thai Airways International use by Thai in 2008. Prototypes are
already being looked at that promise
more comfort at lower weights. “These
The only carrier planning differ- things and we can see the reaction of technologies, such as for the seating,
ent configurations is Emirates, which the market,” says Songsak Namwong, are going to be perfect by the aircraft’s
has ordered the A380 in a low-density, director of Thai’s product develop- launch, but next year the aircraft are
long-range, three-class 489-seater; a ment department. “When we talk with still going to have the current types of
low-density, medium-range, three-class leading industrial designers, we see op- seats. So we have an advantage.”
517-seater; and a higher-density, me- portunities to be better than the others. Kawin Asawachatroj, Thai’s vice-
dium-range, two-class 644-seater. There will be opportunities for Thai to president of corporate product and
All eyes are on SIA, Emirates and optimise the budgets, to optimise the service development, says the carrier
Qantas, the first carriers to take A380 technology and the experience of other has not decided whether to have only
deliveries next year, as some future airlines because we will be later. economy class seating on the main
operators will be able to finalise their “We have an advantage from tech- deck and premium class at the top, or
design plans well after their aircraft are nology, which keeps moving. One or have the front sections for premium
30 T H E F L I G H T G R O U P J U N E 2 0 0 5 w w w. f l i g h t i n t e r n a t i o n a l . c o m
❝
aircraft vis-à-vis reaping the benefits in long-haul services. “I would not
of lower seat cost per mile given the be surprised if operations like a
expected commercial efficiency of the high-density New York to London
aircraft. The A380 will be our all-new
the ultimate travel
shuttle will come along eventu-
flagship. It will be equipped with the ally, especially if premium traffic is
experience with
latest technology and comforts to offer sucked away to other aircraft,” says spacious and
a quality of service that will be the
golden benchmark of the future.
Ronald Kuhlman, vice-president of
the Unisys R2A consultancy.
comfortable cabins
throughout the
❝
“I am looking out for people
Upscale elegance aircraft
putting 650 seats on the A380,” says
“The A380 cabin and seat design will David Stroud, managing director AKBAR AL BAKER
embody luxury in upscale elegance, of UK-based Airport Strategy & CHIEF EXECUTIVE,
which conveys an image of control and Marketing. “It will be very inter- QATAR AIRWAYS
modernity of the air travelling experi- esting to see what happens in the
ence. It will combine prestige with a Chinese market, for example, where
clear and functional design offering a carriers could make high-density
redefinition in the luxury class theme seating work.”
that sets new standards in emotion and Emirates is already thinking of
functionality as well as in design and high-density A380s. It is planning
state-of-the-art technology.” a two-class 644-seat variant for
MAS expects all-economy class on shorter-range routes to the Indian
the main deck and first and business subcontinent from Dubai. And the
classes upstairs. “It makes sense that carrier makes no secret that it wants
the premium classes are together and the stretched A380 sooner rather
are given the upper deck,” says the than later. High-density versions of
carrier. “They will get more privacy that Spacious this aircraft would seat upwards of
way, as well as benefit from some com- areas for 700 people. As Tim Clark, Emirates
mon front-end facilities and services relaxation president, said in a recent article in
that we are planning.” could be a Airline Business: “We would enter a
Korean Air (KAL) chairman Cho big feature new dimension of long-haul travel.”
Yang Ho, says: “We are committed to of the A380
a new dimension of service and are re-
MARK WAGNER
sponding to the needs of our passengers
while improving operating efficiency
and cost structure. The economics of
the A380 support our strategy.”
Creating a fantastic new experience
in economy is tough, but in the premi-
um cabins, carriers can go further. Gary
Chapman, president of Emirates airport
services group Dnata, says Emirates will
have showers in the first-class cabin.
The problem carriers have, says
Ronald Kuhlman, vice-president of
the Unisys R2A consultancy, is how
exclusive they can make the A380
feel for the highest-paying customers.
The choices for premium passengers
to select dedicated services, such as
corporate jets or the business-class-only
long-range A319 and 737s, could have
an impact on long-haul widebody serv-
ices. As Knapp of Landor says: “How
can you feel that exclusive when you
are one of 500 people?” ■
w w w. f l i g h t i n t e r n a t i o n a l . c o m T H E F L I G H T G R O U P J U N E 2 0 0 5 31
Ready
IN MY VIEW
to fly AIRBUS MAY BE ONLY AT THE
beginning of the A380’s flight test
LUFTHANSA
❝
up for operations with the world’s larg- the tools are in place to ensure it does
est airliner. not happen.
The introduction of the A340-600 “It is a stated corporate objective
start of a new age of three years ago was Airbus’s final for the A380 to be mature at entry into
long-haul flights in a rehearsal ahead of the A380’s arrival service,” says Philippe Mhun, vice-
spacious ambience – and it was not exactly a copybook president customer services, A380 pro-
with the most
advanced
❝ performance. Airbus acknowledges the
aircraft is still not delivering satisfacto-
gramme. “Part of [A380 chief engineer]
Robert Lafontan’s design team has a
ry reliability levels and has undergone specific group of six or seven people
technology a series of modifications to resolve covering what we call ‘MRS’ – main-
WOLFGANG in-service problems. tainability, reliability and supportabil-
MAYRHUBER Airbus knows it cannot afford a ity – of the A380.”
repeat of the A340 experience with the Mhun – the former head of long-
CHAIRMAN,
A380 – or any other new programme haul fleet engineering and mainte-
LUFTHANSA – and senior executives are confident nance at Air France whom Airbus
32 T H E F L I G H T G R O U P J U N E 2 0 0 5 w w w. f l i g h t i n t e r n a t i o n a l . c o m
airline’s 747-400s, this means Emirates is a joint launch tomer and the first with Engine will always be able to get the
SIA cannot easily fall back on customer with SIA, but is Alliance powerplants. “If you passengers on and off.”
the Boeing fleet for a substi- expected to trail the Asian car- step back in time, all the same Qantas – which like SIA is an
tute aircraft should one of its rier with its A380 inauguration things were said about the R-R-powered A380 customer
A380s have a technical problem because it chose the “other” entry into service of the Boeing – should also take its first A380
during initial operations. engine supplier – the GE/P&W 747,” he says. late next year. David Cox, the
“Singapore Airlines has Engine Alliance, due for certi- airline’s executive general
never followed the practice of fication on the A380 later next Double-deck loading manager engineering, technical
underselling inventory on a year. The airline is targeting Pointing out that there are not operations and maintenance
new service or aircraft type,” delivery and entry into service many more passengers on an services, says each business area
says Khiang. “We don’t see the of its A380 in October. A380 than a 747, Flanagan asks of the Qantas group has had
need, especially since we don’t Emirates vice-chairman “what’s the panic?” because streams of activity relating to
plan to equip our A380s with Maurice Flanagan takes a all Emirates’ A380 airports will the A380 for some time but
anything like the maximum relaxed view of the problems have double-deck loading. “As
potential number of seats.” of being an early A380 cus- far as alternate airports go, you CONTINUED OVERLEAF
w w w. f l i g h t i n t e r n a t i o n a l . c o m T H E F L I G H T G R O U P J U N E 2 0 0 5 33
gauging, and how the whole integrated impact to the airline, are as critical as
“We’ve warned customers system works.” flight critical items. For example, you
Champion says Airbus has already can’t depart with some non-operat-
that all functions might not identified some systems that are behind ing toilets. So for the first time, we’ve
be available from day one” their development schedule and cus-
tomers have been told there is a “matu-
applied the exact same methodology to
the cabin environment as the one we
Charles Champion, rity risk”. An example is the A380’s new have for airworthiness systems.”
integrated cockpit-cabin communica-
executive vice-president, tions network platform, dubbed the In-service problems
A380 programme NSS/OIS. “We were late in finalising the In parallel with the reliability effort,
specification, partly because security Airbus is also looking to address the
aspects had to be reviewed after 9/11,” time taken to rectify an in-service
says Champion. “We’ve warned cus- problem. “Today a good dispatch reli-
tomers that all functions might not be ability rate is not enough – the length
available from day one.” of a technical delay is also an issue,”
Mhun says a big part of the A380’s says Mhun.
design focused on increasing redun- Airbus has several strings to its
dancy to enable the release of the bow to improve this area of the A380’s
aircraft from a minimum equipment performance that come from the MRS
list perspective to be much better than effort, namely enhanced support and
previous programmes. “We have built improved maintainability – and all the
in much more despatchability on the experience gained on the A380 will set
A380,” he says. the datum for all future programmes,
Another key area where Airbus beginning with the A350.
has upped the reliability tempo is the “Because of the specific context of
cabin, says Mhun. “Cabin system fail- A380 operations – high capacity, long
ures, with potentially high commercial haul, and no substitute aircraft avail-
able – we have created our ‘enhanced
support’ programme,” says Mhun.
Using its built-in test equipment
and sophisticated communications
platform, the A380 will be able to relay
messages automatically via the airline
to the Airbus “AIRTAC” 24h techni-
cal AOG centre in Toulouse about any
technical problems it is experiencing
during the flight.
Airbus is doubling the staffing of
the AIRTAC AOG management team as
part of a move to upgrade the support
to airlines from “reactive” to a “proac-
tive” mode, says Mhun. “Before the
airline calls our centre, we will already
have prepared accurate procedures or
recommendations to trouble-shoot or
undertake structural repairs. Previously,
AIRTAC was only in reactive mode,
with analysis provided by the airline.”
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 33 detailed, final readiness phase. closely with the city’s LAX programme is more compre-
Because of the way Airbus and airport on three levels – the air- hensive than Qantas has ever
over the last year this has been A380 customers have worked field and relocating a runway, done before. We’ve introduced
formalised. “Now each business together on maturity issues, detailed discussions on how the new types into service before
has an A380 readiness cell look- Qantas believes the A380’s terminal needs to be modi- but this is a level of programme
ing at specifics,” he says, add- entry into service will be “the fied to cater for the aircraft, management that couldn’t
ing that in maintenance and most reliable ever…we put the and putting plans in place to have been imagined before.”
engineering, for example, the expectation on Airbus and they support the aircraft from an The high level of support
cell is now looking at software are responding that it will be engineering point of view. from Airbus is enabling this
issues, spares provision and very mature from day one”. “We are putting in place a level of programme manage-
planning maintenance systems. very detailed programme to ment to happen, says Cox.
Cox says Qantas is “abso- First destinations manage the aircraft to ensure “We will understand what this
lutely on track” with its A380 One of the airline’s first A380 all parts of the airline are ready aircraft can do on a level never
planning and happy with destinations will Los Angeles, and all parts will work seam- known before,” he says, adding
its progress as it enters the and the airline is working lessly together,” says Cox. “This that the airline can plan better
34 T H E F L I G H T G R O U P J U N E 2 0 0 5 w w w. f l i g h t i n t e r n a t i o n a l . c o m
UPS
called “virtual warehouse”. Managed by craft – for example, each air generation
AIRTAC, this is a database that can pro- system unit in the wing root weighs
vide information on the availability of 400kg – and we had to work with the
spares for the A380 around the world, designers to make sure the removal and
and can be interrogated automatically installation of equipment is easier and
from the air. “This will be a great help safe for the mechanics.”
when you have to make a decision
about the repairability of a system at an Fast repairs
❝
outstation,” says Mhun. To guard against a potential technical
He says most of the new functions problem significantly delaying an A380
of the enhanced support plan will be flight, Airbus has set requirements for
growth has increased
tested during the A380’s route-proving the time to remove and reinstall certain
programme early next year, and some components. “We want to be sure that our need for larger
trials are also being undertaken with
launch operator Singapore Airlines on
they can be replaced within the two-
to-three-hour turnaround time we are
aircraft and the super
jumbo is part
❝
its A340-500 fleet. going to experience with the A380,” of that solution
Once the problem has been identi- says Mhun.
fied and spare parts delivered to the As the date for the launch of rev- JOHN
aircraft, Airbus has also ensured the enue services looms on the horizon, BEYSTEHNER
repair is achieved as quickly as possible. Airbus is now into detailed bilateral PRESIDENT,
The “MRS” effort has involved “main- meetings with all next year’s A380
UPS AIRLINES
tenance experts challenging the future operators – SIA, Emirates and Qantas.
maintainability of the A380’s design… Mhun says the technical assistance
to make the maintenance processes Airbus will provide for service-entry
easier and more efficient”, says Mhun. will comprise teams of 12 specialist incorporate a modification is appreci-
engineers assigned to support each ated by customers, so we aim to speed
“We have built in much more launch operator.
“The teams will be stationed at any
up the engineering process to fix the
recurrent technical issues,” says Mhun.
despatchability on the A380” A380 station, for example in SIA’s case
that will initially be Singapore, London
This will involve a team compris-
ing engineers from AIRTAC, the design
Philippe Mhun, Heathrow and Sydney,” says Mhun. office and the “poor performing ven-
“We are taking a ‘base approach’ rather dors”, as well as airline representatives
vice-president customer than an ‘airline approach’ and these being co-located at the AIRTAC offices.
services, A380 programme resources will be shared at each station “They will identify any recurrent
by whoever operates there.” technical issues, determine the cause of
Mhun says he expects the teams to the problem and implement the fix,”
be in place for between three and six says Mhun.
months for each new operator, “but we The process is already under way,
have the flexibility to have them avail- with customer service engineers having
able as long as is required”. been sent to the flight test team to
Once the aircraft is in service, Airbus monitor any potential problems.
wants to avoid the problems of past “Any issues being raised as part of
programmes, when repetitive faults flight testing could be qualified as a
took too long to be fixed. “We’ve learnt potential in-service problem and
from earlier programmes that reducing would require a fix before service
the time needed to fix a problem and entry,” says Mhun. ■
and have all the tools in place. Spinetta. “They are also look- a raft of internal processes. ences that set this aircraft apart
In April 2007, Air France will ing at the operational side, for “It has created a momentum from other entry-into-service
be the first European airline to example maintenance, flight within our own organisation programmes,” says Schneider.
introduce the A380. It should and ground operations.” for change,” says Dr Joachim Lufthansa was an early opera-
have been Virgin Atlantic, but Spinetta says that with serv- Schneider, vice-president A380 tor of the A340-600, which was
the airline deferred its deliver- ice entry still almost two years entry into service at Lufthansa. not without its problems, and
ies by 18 months last year. away, the first training sessions The airline has over 100 this was partly why the airline
“To prepare for the ar- for Air France staff will not people from various divisions has avoided being a launch op-
rival of the A380, we set up a begin before mid-2006. working on the programme. erator for the A380. “It is wiser
project team to define all the The A380 team is working with for an aircraft that is different,
different tasks involved: refit- Internal processes over 40 different departments, like the A380, to let it get as
ting airports – terminals, air Lufthansa is also due to receive so almost every part of the mature as it can be. So we’ve
bridges and runways – being its first A380s in 2007, and says company will be touched by got the best compromise from
the major one,” says Air France the arrival of the giant gives the aircraft’s introduction. being one of the first, but not
chief executive Jean-Cyril it the opportunity to change “There are a lot of differ- the first.”
w w w. f l i g h t i n t e r n a t i o n a l . c o m T H E F L I G H T G R O U P J U N E 2 0 0 5 35
KEVIN PHILLIPS
this aircraft differently and more various sectors of its business, one of
the most notable being the establish-
innovatively than any other aircraft” ment of the former Philippines Airlines
maintenance facilities in Manila – now
David Cox, Qantas LHT Philippines – as the specialist for
A330/A340 heavy checks.
❝
future A380 fleets of Air France and With the high number of man hours
Lufthansa, which between them have an A380 heavy check is likely to gener-
placed orders for 25 aircraft, but also ate – such as the removal and refur-
cost per seat ratio
for all A380 operators worldwide,” the bishment of over 500 seats – observers
partners say. The inventory needed to
operate the A380 component pool will
believe the highly competitive labour
costs offered by an Asia-based main-
of the A380 will put
pressure on
❝
be purchased by the partnership and re- tenance centre will make it hard to 747 operations
sponsibility for management and repair justify carrying out most heavy checks
split 50/50 between the two players. in a high-cost region such as Europe.
AHMAD
With Lufthansa’s first A380 due Qantas has started to scope out FUAAD DAHLAN
to arrive at its Frankfurt-Main hub in training issues for its A380 mainte- CHIEF EXECUTIVE,
2007, LHT has already broken ground nance needs and has opened prelimi- MALAYSIA AIRLINES
on a four-bay A380 line maintenance nary talks with Australia’s regulator,
hangar at the airport which will open the Civil Aviation Safety Authority.
in time for the first aircraft. “We are still 14 months out, though, so
Further co-operation could also be we are still at the developmental stage
ahead, says LHT executive board chair- of how we are going to tackle A380
man August Henningsen: “I see the maintenance and support,” says David ing and maintenance partnership with
possibility of a link with other A380 Cox, Qantas executive general manager fellow Rolls-Royce Trent-powered A380
players. I would not rule out co-opera- engineering, technical operations and customer Singapore Airlines – despite
tion with one or a number of parties.” maintenance services. the alliance clash because the former
Henningsen says LHT will be in a The airline is now looking at the is a Oneworld member and the latter
position to undertake A380 mainte- details of how to structure support for a Star affiliate. Cox declines to be
nance at its Hamburg headquarters. A the aircraft. “In the next six months specific, saying only that “we have a
mobile extension for one of the hang- we’ll be making decisions,” says Cox. few irons in the fire” and partnerships
ars capable of handling an A380 is due “We have a clear intention to support should be finalised “pretty soon”.
to be available by September. this aircraft differently and more inno- From a line maintenance point of
Although the need for an A380 vatively than any other aircraft.” view, Qantas has completed the assess-
heavy check capability is less press- When Qantas introduced the ment of its base at Sydney Kingsford
ing, the company sees a more urgent Boeing 747, it had a partnership with Smith airport jet base and a proposal
need to provide a covered A380 facility United Airlines and a similar approach for capital to do the upgrade work will
because of the potential demand for a is expected with the A380. The airline go to the board shortly. It is a relatively
government/corporate A380 conver- confirms it has been in discussions straightforward upgrade, with one
sion. “A VIP A380 is going to happen with other A380 customers about pos- existing hangar converted to do line
sooner or later,” says Henningsen, sible partnerships to manage the engi- maintenance plus some additional
although he adds LHT is not currently neering and maintenance requirements minor works.
holding any “firm discussions” with of the new fleet. The airline is known Late last year, several European
potential clients. to have explored a possible engineer- equipment suppliers unveiled plans
to join forces to offer a new product-
focused maintenance support service
New materials toughen up the A380 devised specifically to meet require-
ments of the A380. Based in Toulouse,
Airbus has conceived the use of carbonfibre and Glare ingression and therefore OEM Services incorporates Diehl
A380 to be more durable materials in the structure improves corrosion Avionik System, Liebherr Aerospace,
during the rough and of the A380 leads Airbus to protection.” Thales Avionics and Zodiac In-Services,
tumble of airline service anticipate a “much better Mhun says that the which will pool their existing
through the use of new behaviour of the aircraft in replacement of rivets with maintenance, support and logistics
materials and produc- terms of corrosion”, he says. welds on large portions of capabilities.
tion techniques, says the “For the aircraft’s lower the fuselage reduces fatigue, “The A380 is a massive programme
programme’s vice-president shelf we have used laser- as “the stress spread is requiring extensive work around the
customer services, Philippe welded shells – the stringers improved because is it not world,” says Thales vice-president of av-
Mhun. and skin panel are welded just on the rivet but spread ionics services worldwide, Mark Barclay.
The long maintenance rather than riveted – which out to all the stringer/skin “We have gone for a joint venture
interval and the increased minimises the water weldings”. because the price would be prohibitive
for a standalone business.” ■
w w w. f l i g h t i n t e r n a t i o n a l . c o m T H E F L I G H T G R O U P J U N E 2 0 0 5 37
Mass transit
delivered until four years after the
passenger variant, for example, and the
777 freighter is not due to take to the
air until 2008 or 2009, 14 years after
the passenger variant was launched.
By contrast, the prototype A380F
is already being built – the metal was
cut on 12 April – and test flights will
begin in the third quarter of 2007. And
The A380 Freighter faces a tough fight in the cargo market with Airbus has already had 27 orders – 10
from FedEx Express, 10 from UPS, five
its incumbent rival, the Boeing 747, but Airbus is confident that its from ILFC and two from Emirates.
As Richard Carcaillet, director
superior range and economics will win through. Peter Conway product marketing for the A380 at
Airbus, points out, 20 airlines took part
reports from London in design consultations. “The top six
cargo carriers in the world are all either
A380F or A380 passenger customers.
IN MY VIEW IF THE A380 FREIGHTER IS GOING Remember too that it is still three and a
to be a new paradigm for the air cargo half years to the first freighter delivery.
industry, it is taking a while to catch All this makes me relaxed and optimis-
on. Indeed, a sure way to get an airline tic that the freighter will be a success
cargo manager rolling his eyes in like the passenger variant.”
the past year or two has been to ask
whether his airline has any plans to Stronger structure
buy the freighter. The A380F’s freighter variant grew out
The reason is air cargo’s love affair of consideration of future stretch and
with the 747F, which shows no sign long-range versions of the passenger
❝
of abating. This year’s hot freighter is aircraft, which would need a 590t max-
not the A380F or even the proposed imum take-off weight instead of 560t
747 Advanced Freighter or the 777-200 for the current model. The strength-
industry could not long-range freighter that Boeing is ened wing and structure of this future
have found a better trying to launch, but the 747-400SF stretch model are being used for the
shot in the arm than
Airbus’s jumbo
❝ passenger-to-freighter conversion. Ever
since it was first offered in late 2003,
freighter, which will also have special
fuselage panels – stronger than usual,
A380 airlines have been falling over them- with no windows – and an excellent
selves to book conversion slots. sheer and bending capability, making it
FRED SMITH Air cargo’s enthusiasm for the 747 is less sensitive to the positioning of dif-
CHAIRMAN, FEDEX not surprising. It was, after all, designed ferent weight pallets. “This was always
originally as a military transport and a strong point of the 747F, but we have
has cargo-friendly features, such as the done even better,” says Carcaillet.
famous nose door (although this is The lack of a nose door has also
available only on factory-built models, been compensated for with an excep-
not conversions) and its ability to carry tionally wide main deck cargo door
3m (10ft)-high pallets on its main deck. – 4.27m against 3.4m on the 747F.
The A380F, in contrast, is an Add in a wider main deck and a good
unknown quantity. It will carry only proportion of the outsize cargo that
2.4m-high pallets (like most other needs nose-door loading will fit into
freighters), will have no nose door, the A380F, says Carcaillet.
and its upper deck will require a He also says nose doors are not
special high loader that can reach the as vital as Boeing suggests. “In our
dizzy height of 8m above the ground. consultations, airlines accepted, after
Carriers are worried that not all the discussion, that the nose door does
exotic airports freighters tend to fly to have weight/cost implications, and that
in pursuit of cargo will have such high the nose loader is not available at all
loaders, or the necessary taxiways. They airports. Boeing is also offering a 777
also worry about the ease of interlin- freighter which has no nose door, and
ing pallets with their existing 747F no wide cargo door either.”
fleet, and that there will not be enough On the high-loader question,
routes to fill the A380F’s 150t payload. Carcaillet says seven manufacturers
Set against such concerns is the fact have attended meetings and develop-
that the A380F is already a great suc- ment is under way at several of them.
cess. Production freighters are typically He insists the availability of high load-
launched well behind the passenger ers at airports on major routes will not
38 T H E F L I G H T G R O U P J U N E 2 0 0 5 w w w. f l i g h t i n t e r n a t i o n a l . c o m
Container commonality
be a success like the passenger variant” The nature of express operators’ exist-
Richard Carcaillet, director product marketing, A380 ing fleets also means they will not have
to adjust container sizes to use the
A380F. “The containers we currently
other widebody freighters,” he says. 7,400km (4,000nm) routes, but FedEx use on the MD-11F will fit fine onto
With all these improvements, Airbus and UPS talk of payloads of 60-70t on the main deck of the A380F, and on
estimates it will take 91min to do a the 9,250km routes between hubs such the upper deck we will use A300 or 767
complete turnaround for the A380F as Cologne and Hong Kong or Osaka containers,” says Roby. “Apart from
– the same time as for the 747-400 con- and Memphis. So the A380F offers a the high loaders, there are no other
version. With a nose door, he concedes doubling of both payload and cubic particular entry-into-service considera-
the 747-400 is 10min quicker. capacity – 1,080m3 (38,000ft3) com- tions for the freighters.”
Certainly, existing purchasers of the pared with 540m3 for the MD-11. And But these advantages do not neces-
A380F are not worried about high load- all this, says David Sutton, managing sarily apply to conventional cargo op-
ers or airport infrastructure. Instead, director of FedEx’s A380 programme of- erators, leading Boeing to suggest that
what excites them is the aircraft’s per- fice, with 15-20% lower tonne/km costs although the A380F is a good express
formance statistics. Both FedEx – the than the MD-11F. aircraft, it won’t work for conventional
launch customer, taking three A380Fs There are some special factors at heavy freight. This draws a particularly
in 2008, three in each of the following work for express operators, however. vigorous response from Carcaillet.
w w w. f l i g h t i n t e r n a t i o n a l . c o m T H E F L I G H T G R O U P J U N E 2 0 0 5 39
“FedEx and UPS are not just express ageing 747-200F freighters with new
carriers any more,” he says. “They are 777 Freighters. Boudier also doubted
also getting into heavy freight, and whether Air France Cargo had enough
have purchased these aircraft for inter- routes on which to operate an A380F
national business where heavy freight with the three to four frequencies a
is a factor.” Roby confirms this, point- week it aimed for. “But that could
ing to UPS’s recent purchase of freight change in the next decade,” he said.
forwarder Menlo. “As we go forward,
we will be growing not just in express, Better economics
but in heavy freight,” he says, “and the Singapore Airlines is also on record
A380 will enable us to offer both.” as considering the A380F, and even
Airbus’s counter to the “express China Airlines and Cargolux, both
only” tag is to point to the A380’s three stalwart 747-400F customers, say
possible loading configurations – which high. In fact, most pallets on existing UPS will use they see a need for a next-generation
Carcaillet says makes it more flexible freighters – including A300s and MD- its A380Fs freighter with better economics and
than the 747F. A dense configuration 11s – are only 8ft high.” initially on larger capacity than the 747-400F. Both
has 17 pallets on the upper deck, 29 As well as its better cubic capacity, transpacific hope Boeing will launch its 747-400
on the main deck and 13 on the lower there are other arguments that might routes Advanced Freighter to fill that gap. This
deck, while putting 25 pallets on the win over conventional cargo carriers is the “wild card” that could affect the
upper deck gives a “middle of the road” to the A380F. Airbus figures say the air- A380F’s future, says Bob Dahl, project
loading pattern. For express operators, craft will have 24% lower cash operat- director for consultants Air Cargo
a low-density arrangement squeezes 33 ing costs, and 18% better fuel efficiency Management Group in Seattle.
pallets onto the main deck by putting per tonne than the 747-400F. Dahl says the presence of the A380
one row crosswise. At Emirates, the only confirmed passenger version in the fleets of major
conventional user of the aircraft and airlines could sway the argument for
Exceptional capacity due to take delivery soon after FedEx the freighter. “Right now the argument
This enables the A380F to make the in 2008, Ram Menen, senior vice-presi- favours the 747-400 freighter, but in 10
best of its exceptional cubic capacity, dent cargo, reckons this will create “a years it could easily favour the A380F
which could be important in an in- new benchmark for discounting” on or the 777F for the same reason,” he
dustry where the trend is for less dense routes it operates. “The A380F is the says. Boudier says this is a key factor at
cargo (for example, smaller electronic aircraft of the future and the shape of Air France. “If we can order a freighter
products in more packaging). Using the things to come. The situation is no that has commonality of maintenance
industry standard 10lb per cubic foot different from when 747 freighters first and crewing with our passenger fleet,
density, Carcaillet says its middle and appeared in the early 1970s.” Emirates that is a very important consideration.”
lighter density configurations give 31% has not said where it will deploy the ILFC is also optimistic about the
more volume than the 747-400F, and aircraft, but Asia to Europe or Dubai to A380F. Not known for its huge freighter
with the 8-9lb per cubic foot densities the USA would be good candidates. portfolio, the lessor has ordered five of
he says are being studied by some Asian What of other airlines? Carcaillet the aircraft, although president John
airlines, it can have up to 50% more is confident of another freighter Plueger says it has the option to switch
volume than the 747-400F. customer this year, and there are signs these back to passenger orders. But he
This is also part of Airbus’s answer the icy reception given to the A380F by does not expect that to happen.
to the 3m (10ft)-high pallet question. conventional carriers may be cracking. “We get our first passenger A380
“If you don’t have 10ft-high pallets, Marc Boudier, executive vice-president in spring 2007 and the first possible
you are stuck with relatively poor of Air France Cargo, admitted the freighter in 2009. By the time they are
space utilisation on the 747-400F,” says A380F would be a good freighter, but delivered, I am confident there will be
Carcaillet. “Lots of pallets are not 10ft the carrier’s priority was to replace its market demand for them.” ■
40 T H E F L I G H T G R O U P J U N E 2 0 0 5 w w w. f l i g h t i n t e r n a t i o n a l . c o m