[AMcWhirter]

MarkivJ – Tokyo would be a suitable destination for the A380. But I believe aviation authority will not allow foreign carriers to operate their A380s into Haneda. Instead they must use Narita.

At the time of writing no Japanese airline operates the A380. However ANA is acquiring the super jumbo and expects to start A380 service (from Tokyo Narita) to Honolulu in 2019.

[openfly]

@capetonianm A BA380 was flown to CT on an early training sector from JNB a couple of years ago. It did an approach and go-around, then flew over and around Table Mountain for airborne photo shots with a photo-plane shadowing it, then it returned to JNB for the evening service to LHR. I dont think it did a “roller”.

[AMcWhirter]

I am sure that if CPT’s runway/taxi-ways could cope with an A380 then Emirates would already have operated one of its “one-offs” before now.

Its A380 one-offs have already taken place at airports (Glasgow and Brussels spring to mind) which are not yet ready for full scheduled A380 service.

[SimonS1]

CPT is a non runner. No sign if any work starting and Tony Gupta is a bit behind signing off budgets at present.

[MarkivJ]

So the new a380 route is ORD!!

[LuganoPirate]

A few years ago a Lufthansa A380 did a touch and go at CPT airport. It then went on to fly over Cape Point returning over the city and Table Mountain returning to JNB for the evening flight back to FRA. It flew right over me and it was pretty spectacular.

[sparkyflier]

MarkivJ is the 380 to ORD official? If so thank you for telling us.

My money would have been on ORD or either Delhi or Mumbai. After these Seattle and a very outside bet Sao Paulo.
Does this mean any route loses the A380 and also is ORD daily? Do they have more 380s coming soon?

Does this additional capacity enables them to save some LHR slots to be used elsewhere?

[Speedbird1994]

sparkyflyer, yes it is official. From May 2018.

I don’t think Mumbai or Delhi will see an A380 from BA anytime soon. I think that BA replaced some of their 747s on these routes with smaller 787-9s, because they wanted to reduce capacity to India. There is a glut of high-capacity, low-fare options available via Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Muscat and Doha, and rather than rival the low-cost base of the ME airlines which they could probably never match anyway, they decided to reduce capacity, and charge a premium for the direct routings instead. Therefore putting an A380 on Delhi/Mumbai with lots of cheap seats would be the opposite of what they would want to do.

I think Chicago makes sense. I am sure BA had 3 flights a day there for a while, and rather than go back to 3, just replacing a 747 with an A380 makes perfect sense.

I don’t think Seattle is A380 ready yet, is it? Also, Sao Paulo I believe was being looked at before the Brazilian economy stagnated recently. I think BA are back down to one flight a day to Sao Paulo aren’t they? When they had 2 previously, and have halved that, I can’t see them putting an A380 down there.

Anyway, more route announcements/changes due later today apparently! So watch this space!

[AMcWhirter]

Nashville now confirmed.

https://www.britishairways.com/en-gb/destinations/nashville/flights-to-nashville?DM1_Mkt=GLOBAL&DM1_Channel=SOCIAL&DM1_Campaign=GMBNAROUTELAUNCH&DM1_Site=TWITTER&utm_source=TWITTER&utm_medium=SOCIAL&utm_campaign=GMBNAROUTELAUNCH

Also the ORD A380 schedules are here:

http://www.routesonline.com/news/38/airlineroute/274196/british-airways-adds-a380-chicago-service-from-may-2018/

[AMcWhirter]

Our Online news piece

British Airways confirms new Nashville service

[MarkivJ]

Sparkyflyer, I live in Seattle and trust me, they’re not A380 ready yet! For what has been one of America’s fastest growing cities the last 2-3 years, the airport is absolutely pitiful and can’t cope with the growing demand. I often pray “please don’t hit the wing of another aeroplane” as I see the 747s parking at the gates on arrival!

That said, when it does become A380 compliant, I’m sure BA would want to fly their A380. They fly 12 times weekly during the summer and the flights are always packed. BA flights have a huge Premium following here (early mover advantage). Not only that, but flights to the UK have been steadily increasing:
1. BA flies 12 times weekly during summer season
2. Virgin flies to LHR daily (replaced Delta’s service)
3. Norwegian starts 5x weekly flights to LGW in Sept (or Oct) this year
4. Thomas Cook starts flights to MAN sometime in 2018

Seattle is one of those places that attracts a very diverse mix of passengers: transit passengers to Europe, Indians going home, European travellers and a lot of corporate travel (normally to the UK or Israel).

Speedbird: You’re right. Back in 2012, their double dailies to BOM and DEL, and daily to BLR were all 747s and they now operate a mix of 772 and 788/789 on all 5 cities. The exception is Delhi which gets a 77W and 747 during the peak winter season. They do charge a heavy price but their flights are full, especially the premium.

Whilst the MEB3 have taken the market away from them, not all is lost!

Advantages for BA (w.r.t transit passengers) over MEB3 are to US cities that MEB3 don’t fly to, or have limited presence (such as Austin, Denver, Philadelphia, etc.). Some Indians prefer BA over MEB3 where BA has multiple daily flights (such as Boston) or flies to more conveniently located airports (EWR instead of JFK, Newark has a huge Indian base and many prefer BA over EK’s EWR-Athens-DXB flight and would rather land in EWR).

Also being Indian myself, I am seeing a change in airline choice – back in 2011-15, it was cool to fly on the shiny MEB3s, they were the new cool kids on the block. But now, both visiting parents (senior citizens) and mothers with infants aren’t fond of the long DXB-North America flights and would much rather fly through EU (50-50 split in journey time).

[sparkyflier]

MarkivJ and Speedbird thank you for your posts -both very interesting and informative.

I think re Sao Paulo BA never got twice daily but for a short period did go to 10 flights weekly – 7 x 747 and 3 x 777.At the time I thought this was odd and why could they not have put those 3 x 777 on a Bogota route. of course around that time Brazil went into crisis.

But now of course they have an agreement with TAM (who have added to their number of flights ex LHR – where did those slots come from) and so I wondered if the Whale could make sense there.

GRU can now take the A380 – Emirates use that there now.

Re Seattle I knew demand was high and wondered with new DL/VS competition, as well as Norwegian, that the clapped out 747s BA has would not be competitive and that the 380 would add seats and value offering.

It was interesting to read both your observations about the Indian market and Indian buying trends.

And of the extra slots for Philly and Phoenix no surprises – DL is pulling out of PHL -LHR and so makes sense.

And so do we think there are any more developments coming up following Nashville and ORD getting the 380?

Africa and South America going to get any attention?

It dopes seem that BA’s Brexit preparation is only USAware.

[rferguson]

Just confirmed – LGW – YYZ. Three weekly flights from May 1.

[AMcWhirter]

LGW-YYZ … will that be a 10-across Y B777-200 I wonder ?

[Olneyflyer]

Anyone know what Delta will use the Philadelphia slots for once they vacate the route?

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