[AMcWhirter]

Seems BOAC’s routing via the Pacific to Australia was London-New York-Los Angeles-Honoulu-Fiji-Sydney.

This flightglobal.com archive article from 1962 explains that BOAC management was worried that the VC-10 lacked the range of the B707.

At that time it was reported that BOAC was looking to cancel a number of VC-10s it had on order in favour of puchasing some B707s.

http://www.flightglobal.com/pdfarchive/view/1962/1962%20-%200963.html

[TiredOldHack]

Yes, that excellent book “When Britain Ruled The Skies” goes into the politics of the VC10 quite extensively. BOAC doesn’t come out of it very well.
BOAC had ordered some, but decided it really wanted 707s, and it needed permission, being a state-owned corporaton, to blow that much foreign exchange, so it started a whispering campaign against the VC10. It got its 707s and then discovered hat its passengers actually preferred the home-grown product.

PS: Fascinating link, that. Thanks.

[DavidGordon10]

Who else remembers the advertising slogan – “try a little VC10derness”?

[canucklad]

With all this nostalgia for a true Great Brit …… I thought I’d share this link, IMO this airline showed off the VC10 at its best. ……

http://www.mccrow.org.uk/EastAfrica/East_African_Airways_2/East%20African.htm

[AMcWhirter]

In those days, EAA even had fifth freedom LHR-Paris Orly traffic rights. So fans could sample the VC-10 for a modest price.

[MrMichael]

I think I tecall my father flying a BOAV VC10 London – Gander – San Francisco

[AMcWhirter]

News from Toulouse is that Airbus has started final assembly of the high-density A380 which has been ordered by Emirates.

The official seat count will be 58 in business and 557 in economy class which gives a total capacity of 615 passengers.

At last Airbus will have an A380 variant which can easily outcarry high-density versions of the B777-300ER. As noted above the newer B777-300ERs operated by Air Canada accommodate 458 passengers.

[TiredOldHack]

Is that just a two-class configuration? Interesting, if so.

EDIT: Having done the arithmetic, it is!

[AMcWhirter]

TiredOldHack –

Nothing official yet from Emirates but it’s understood there will be four of these “new cabin configuration” A380s delivered to the airline by the end of the year.

Right now in Toulouse there’s just three fuselage sections, two wings and the tail. These will be connected to one another before the engines are mounted.

[TiredOldHack]

No hint as to what routes they might be used on?

[AMcWhirter]

Nothing official yet from Emirates. But as I mentioned in a few postings above, one would imagine they’ll initially be used on those busy routes linking Dubai with India and SE Asia.

[LetsFlyNow]

I think it could still be rostered even on one of it’s LHR flights. Clearly they must know which of their frequencies have less premium seats loads and more economy class.

But the 58 business seats are still abit low.

[canucklad]

I’d like to think that Emirates will use these beasts on flights with duration of 4 hours or less.
If EK put them on the HKG route I’m afraid they’ll have lost any chance of my future custom.
Another example of greed…..I presume that EK are currently losing money on the Mumbai route ?

[TiredOldHack]

Might make sense to use them for the Mecca pilgrims. Mecca is… what, about 1000 miles away from Dubai? Does that work with A380 economics?

[AMcWhirter]

Jeddah is the main gateway for Mecca.

Indeed all three of Emirates’ daily Dubai-Jeddah flights are operated by the A380.

[Author]

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