French Airline signs deal for 840 passenger A380 superjumbo

by Scott Carmichael on

Airlines placing an order for new planes is normally not really newsworthy, but a memorandum of understanding signed yesterday between French airline Air Austral and Airbus for 2 A380’s is something special.

Air Austral will be the first airline to order the A380 with seating designed to its fullest capacity.

That means a whopping 840 passengers spread out between the double decks of this superjumbo. It also means the end of the dream that the A380 would only offer the finest in passenger comfort with onboard bars and casinos.

Air Austral plans to operate the 2 A380’s on their Paris-Réunion route, which they describe as “high density”.

Of course, flying a plane this big into Roland Garros airport will probably require some tweaks to the facilities, or things may become a little clogged when all 840 passengers plus crew try to make their way land side.

Air Austral actually operates a pretty impressive route network, and has scheduled flights from Réunion to Sydney, Bankok and Madagascar, to name just a few.

(Via: Airbus press release)

Airbus wins bet, makes president less of a loser

by Tom Johansmeyer on

When your reputation is so bad that you have to make a bet that you’ll meet production targets, as Airbus President Tom Enders did, you need to realize that your victory would be break-even for anyone else. The man with the poor track record scored a bottle of champagne by delivering the fourth of four planes to Emirates Airline on time. The total order is for 58, which means Airbus has plenty of work ahead of it.

Hell, he even had two days of wiggle room. If the champagne is as good as his reputation, Enders will endure an incredibly sweet victory.

Before we give Airbus too much respect, his announcement of champagne success was accompanied with a warning that the fifth plane, due by the end of March, will not be ready until mid-April. Of course, this will occur despite the fact that the on-time delivery “gives us a good basis to further ramp-up our production in 2009.” Emirates president Tim Clark leaked this tidbit to Reuters.

Enders made the bet with the media at a press conference in September because he’s missed his deadlines four times in three years. And, we all know that reporters are perpetually broke … they only make bets they’re likely to win. This says so much about Airbus and its leader.

Already, he’s screwed up 2009. Airbus parent EADS confessed that it will miss its objective of 21 A380s this year. This, apparently, is how one treats its largest customer.

[Via Reuters via USA Today]

Pounding weather, in New York and on the runways

by Jerry Guo on

It’s pouring here in New York, with a severe weather alert out for high winds and quarter-sized hail. It’s a good thing I haven’t been going outside this summer–and my apartment, with its windows facing an inner courtyard shields me away from most of nature.

In honor of weird weather, here in New York, in Beijing (where it’s predicted to rain for the better half of this week), and apparently on the runways, here’s an unbelievable clip of an A380 in a crosswind. As an added bonus, the commentary is in Icelandic!

Enjoy Monday.

Emirates A380 arrives in New York!

by Grant Martin on

Dubai’s Emirates Airlines made its inaugural Airbus A380 flight into New York‘s John F Kennedy airport this past Friday, on what will now become America’s first regularly scheduled service with the the new two story jumbo jet.
Gadling was on hand to capture some sweet photos in and around the aircraft, as well as through a press conference detailing the coming Emirates events.

The airline plans to augment the current service (now on a Boeing 773) between JFK and Dubai with this aircraft in order to carry higher volumes to the booming Middle Eastern country. Eventually, they also plan on integrating A380 service to Los Angeles and San Francisco.

Emirates is the second customer of the A380, following nearly two years of manufacturing delays and an initial round of deliveries to Singapore Airlines.

In a series of test flights out on the West Coast, the airline will be trumpeting their new expanded service over the next few days, so if you’re in California keep your eyes peeled for the behemoth overhead. While Gadling wont be able to make it out for the test flights, check in with The Cranky Flier at some point next week for the full scoop on in flight performance.

Meantime, check out Gadling’s photos of the aircraft and of the inaugural event and start saving your change for a ticket!

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Talking travel with Emirates Airline VP Nigel Page

by Jerry Guo on

This Friday will mark the launch of the first regular route in the world on the A380, from Dubai to New York JFK on Emirates Airline. I’m here to talk to Nigel Page, Senior Vice President of Commercial Operations (Americas) about this exciting development, the airline’s famed “private hotels in the sky,” and why we should book a ticket to Dubai.

What will be the configuration on the A380, New York-Dubai route? What are some of the amenities?

Emirates A380 on the New York-Dubai route will feature 489 seats in a three-class configuration. (14 first class, 76 business class and 399 economy class.) Our official unveiling takes place today as we accept the first A380 directly from Airbus in Hamburg, Germany. This will be followed by the first-ever commercially scheduled A380 flight to the United States on August 1st.

How much cost savings does the A380 provide over the traditional transatlantic equipment?

The A380 is an aircraft built to not only serve the customer better, but the operator as well. Fuel economy is perhaps the greatest advantage the A380 provides, as this aircraft receives better mileage per passenger than most hybrid passenger cars. This fuel economy, combined with the A380’s range and capacity, allows for a greater projected cost savings over other older aircraft.
As a luxury carrier, how do you plan to stay competitive in an industry that’s increasingly under pressure from high oil prices?

While high oil prices are a concern for every carrier, Emirates feels that we can stay competitive because of our younger fleet. With the average age of aircraft in the Emirates fleet at just over five years old, Emirates operates aircraft that are more fuel efficient than that of many other carriers. Additionally, we only operate wide-bodied aircraft that allow for a greater cargo capacity, and therefore result in greater profit margins.

Does Emirates’ position in the Middle East have any leverage over other carriers when bidding for jet fuel?

No, Emirates being a Dubai-based airline does not have any effect on other carriers when bidding for jet fuel. Dubai has an open skies policy and Emirates operates alongside 110 other airlines at Dubai International Airport. We receive no subsidies whatsoever.

Do you have any plans to enter the business-class-only market?

No, Emirates does not have any plans to enter the business-class-only market.

What are your other planned routes into the United States?

In addition to twice daily service from New York JFK and daily service from Houston, Emirates will launch Los Angeles service October 1st and San Francisco service November 20th.

Which airlines does Emirates see as its biggest competitors? And what does Emirates do better than them?

We can say that with our unique route network, competition largely depends on the market in which we are operating.

I’ve seen your first-class private suites. Quite jealous.

Emirates first class suites offer our customers the finest in-flight experience available. Amenities include our 1,000 channel ice entertainment system; 23-inch hi-definition personal viewing screen; full lie-flat seat featuring in-seat massage and pre-set seating adjustments; in-suite refreshment center; multiple personal stowages; Bvlgari amenity kits; 7-inch touch screen control for entertainment system and seat, dine on-demand service; and sleep amenities include sleep mask, slippers, and luxurious duvets. Our private cabins are practically a hotel in the sky.

What’s a weekend itinerary for first-time visitors to Dubai? (Let’s imagine an extended layover.)

A typical weekend in Dubai would include a stay at one of Dubai’s numerous outstanding luxury hotel properties, followed by a city tour hosted by one of Dubai’s tour operators like Arabian Adventures – visitors can experience the charm of Dubai’s historic heritage area including the famous gold and spice souks and enjoy the feeling of a city changing from a small trading post on the Arabian Sea to one of the world’s most futuristic cities.

Visitors can’t miss the spectacular shopping malls that have put Dubai on the map for being one of the world’s greatest shopping capitals- one of which even includes an indoor ski facility! Evening entertainment would not be complete without a desert safari and 4WD sundown dune driving, followed by an Arabian dinner with entertainment under the stars. Dubai has options catering to every taste and desire- from PGA golf courses to some of the most spectacular beaches in the world.

What are your favourite restaurants and hotels in Dubai?

Hotels: The Royal Mirage, the Madinat Properties, and the new Raffles Hotel are all lovely. Restaurants- Al Nafourah in Emirates Towers has wonderful Lebanese food. There are a number of new restaurants opening in the new Dubai Festival City complex which will also be excellent.

What are the top three “undiscovered” / underrated destinations in the Middle East?

Muscat, Oman, the rugged East Coast of the UAE (Hatta, located in Dubai, Fujeriah, and the east coast of Sharjah are all lovely and terrific for wadi hikes, outdoor camping and offroad adventures), and Petra Jordan.