[dutchyankee]

Hi BB, the 787 capacity in the two first renditions by no means, but the A350-1000 is a high capacity aircraft to rival the 777-300 and could seat in excess of 350 passengers in a three class configuration. Currently BA have 777-300 configured in 299 which matches their 747 High J config, and the A350-1000 could match then BA’s 747 Mid J config of 345 pax.

[BigDog.]

End of road for BA’s Jumbos as they are phased out for Dreamliners

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2303824/BA-agrees-deal-buy-18-Boeing-aeroplanes.html

[CXDiamond]

Having been involved for some time in financial modeling to assist in purchase or lease of the A350 and 787, I’m not sure that most have yet woken up to the potential of the A350 family of aircraft. I doubt many carriers will operate both and if they do, it won’t be for long.

There’s something in it for almost every operator and it will work as a replacement for everything from the A332/762 through to the A346/773 and for that matter the 747. The 787 does not come close and the 777X is nothing more than pie in the sky at the moment.

I am beginning to develop a view based on what I’m seeing at work that the 787 will become the aircraft of choice for long haul low cost carriers or charter companies, Norwegian and Thomson spring to mind where they want to operate a fixed level of service from point to point and the A350 and the huge potential the range of aircraft offers will become the aircraft of choice for the major carriers. We’ve already seen CX and SIA order it, EK are doing a bit of posturing but they need to order and stick with more 77Ws or jump ship for the A350 and of course by the time the A350s are in full service, the 77W will be very old technology.

I suspect that before too long we will see the LH group order in large numbers to replace even LX’s not yet delivered 77Ws and AF/KLM will follow. Etihad and Qatar will have it too. We will certainly see more change in long haul types over the next ten years than we have in the last ten when the only real leap was the introduction of the A380. (Let’s ignore the 787 fiasco as in reality, it is not flying).

I must admit to being surprised at the BA orderfor the 787, it rather limits them for the future though of course their 773s are relatively new at the moment and they do tend to operate their planes until they are well past the sell by date, almost at the opposite end of the scale to SQ.

Time will tell whether I’m right or not.

[JohnHarper]

Interesting thinking about the A350. It will be interesting to see if Airbus can produce another game changer.

Having been on the 787 I thought it was nothing remarkable in spite of QR’s new seats which are of themselves excellent but they would be just as good on an A330.

[Swissdiver]

dutchyankee is pretty right on the spot when analysing the market. I think meanwhile one should differentiate financial prospects from passengers’ experience. For instance, many love the A380′ but the program will probably never break even! The A340 program was a dog while the A330s is doing well. Boeing’s recent programs on the other side were all profitable to my knowledge. That’s for the financials. Regarding the experience, well by now, I guess you know my thoughts…

[Henkel.Trocken]

The A350 does seem to do an excellent job at capturing a huge share of the market, a bit like the A320 series. Airbus will then have a product for almost every market from the A318 to the A380.

[Anonymous]

[AnastasiaBeaverhouzen]

Nice to see BA has ordered 18 A350-1000 plus 18 options, which apparently will replace with the 787’s, 30 of the current 747 fleet by 2023.

If you don’t mind I’d like to thank everyone who offered their condolences at my younger sisters passing. It was all very unsettling and there has been a lot to deal with, not least inheriting a pair of 13 year old boys! I hope to contribute further in the coming months.

Thanks again.

Anastasia.

[BigDog.]

My deepest sympathies Anastasia, I had missed your previous posting. It does cause much inward reflection and demonstrate the fragility of life when someone close and younger passes on. Wishing you strength and fortitude.

[alwaysreadytofly]

I like how Walsh talks of next generation planes saving 20% in fuel per seat and how, we the customer will benefit in new routes etc….but no talk of lowering fares or removing the fuel surcharges as a benefit to us…..

maybe the fuel surcharge is not a surcharge but another name for something else??

[VintageKrug]

…probably because while fuel burn reduces, the cost of Jet A1 continues its trend upwards (despite a few blips of reduction from time to time).

So the cost saving in efficiency is wiped out by increased fuel costs.

It’s not a true saving; more efficient aircraft are required just to stand still on cost. And not all the BA fleet delivers this 20% saving, just a very few of the new modern arrivals out of the hundreds of aircraft in service.

[FormerlyDoS]

“And not all the BA fleet delivers this 20% saving, just a very few of the new modern arrivals out of the hundreds of aircraft in service.”

Compared to 100% of Ryanair’s 305 (and growing) fleet of fuel efficient B737-800 aeroplanes.

I don’t get this, Ryanair charges very low fares and manages to maintain a new and fuel efficient fleet, which helps them to maintain low fares.

Other airlines charge very high prices and have very old, inefficient, aircraft that force them to maintain very high fares.

Surely, if legacy airlines invested in fuel efficient aircraft, they would be able to offer attractive prices and make regular, healthy, profits, just like Ryanair?

[SimonS1]

Still at least the fuel efficient aircraft will help them to counter the effects of being stuck in holding patterns of 45 minutes + in the USA, burning fuel and belching out emissions.

I’m surprised the airlines are still allowed to show this as a surcharge bearing in mind it’s an integral part of delivering the service. A bit like bakers adding a ‘wheat surcharge’ to the price of a loaf.

[FormerlyDoS]

Simon

You make a good point about wheat supplements.

On the other hand, if the baker gave ‘Wheatios’ points out will nilly and then the customers wanted free product, the wheat surcharge would be a nice way of gaining an income stream, n’est-ce pas?

[FCTraveller]

Does anyone know if they plan to have first class on any of those?

[Author]

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