Malaysia Airlines plans to operate 700-seat A380s

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Viewing 15 posts - 1 through 15 (of 22 total)

  • AMcWhirter
    Participant

    But you can rest easy. This high-density A380 configuration is planned only for the carrier’s pilgrim flights between Malaysia and Saudi Arabia.

    If means that this planned MAS A380 pilgrim service will accommodate 85 more passengers than Emirates’ two-class A380.

    MAS has been trying to find a buyer for its six A380s (which are now surplus to requirements) but it cannot find a buyer.

    http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2016-10-19/mass-muslim-pilgrimage-to-boost-unloved-a380-under-malaysia-plan


    FrequentPR
    Participant

    With SQ not renewing its lease on its initial, decade old A380, one wonders if apart from Emirates and perhaps some Asian airlines such as the Koreans, the A380s may gradually go the way of the dodo.

    I gather that for airlines such as QF (which only has 12) they are expensive all things considered especially with the alleged current pressure on yields out of Australia for the large leisure section of the market.

    Sure, the corporate travellers are important and often pay far higher fares on a seat-kilometre basis (and occupy F and J) but most airlines cannot be profitable without ‘the back of the bus’ yielding an acceptable average rate per kilometre flown.

    When oil prices rise further and hedging practised by airlines eventually runs out of steam, it will be interesting to observe what the airlines with smaller fleets of A380s do with them.

    AMcWhirter, please keep us all posted in your amazingly accurate and prescient way!


    Flightlevel
    Participant

    No aircraft more comfortable and more economical on the right routes (nor safer so far!) Airlines just find it costly so few can afford it! It always seems easier to spend less on two engines. Its perfect for long haul with better seats – over 400 economy plus seats and over 100 business flat bed seats and all pax will get a good sleep!


    FrequentPR
    Participant

    Do you work for Airbus Industrie, Flightlevel?


    FrequentPR
    Participant

    Do you work for Airbus Industrie, Flightlevel?

    Whether or not airlines find it ‘costly’ I don’t know – most find it ‘unsuitable!’


    FDOS_UK
    Participant

    Boeing your client, FrequentPR?

    I don’t work for Airbus, but I agree 100% with Flightlevel’s post – the A380 is head and shoulders above the competition on long/very long haul routes.


    FrequentPR
    Participant

    FDOS_UK, no, I don’t work in aviation or public relations. While I like those rear economy seats on the Airbus A380, unfortunately most airlines have long decided that this aircraft just won’t work for them. Emirates is the sole operator that has a continuing, as yet unmet in terms of deliveries to this aircraft model – and even its CEO has expressed worries about the future of production if I’m not mistaken.


    Flightlevel
    Participant

    I just work for a good sleep on a longhaul flight!


    AMcWhirter
    Participant

    MAS is proceeding with plans to launch a pilgrim charter airline using its six-strong fleet of A380s. The name of the subsidiary is expected to be revealed in April/May.

    Reported on atwonline.com the carrier’s CEO Peter Bellow says MAS has been in discussions with Airbus on reconfiguraing the A380 to provide an all-economy 720-seat layout.

    http://atwonline.com/airframes/malaysia-airlines-a380-charter-target-6-pilgrimage-traffic

    Currently the most seats available on any commercial A380 service is the 615-seat two-class variant operated by Emirates.

    MAS’ small fleet of A380s are (except for the occasional charter) rostered solely for its flagship Kuala Lumpur-London route.

    The A380s are the only aircraft in the MAS fleet which are capable of flying non-stop to Europe.

    MAS is set to acquire a number of smaller A350s at the end of this year. They will replace the A380s on the London route. But this is unlikely to happen until later in 2018.


    Charles-P
    Participant

    Anyone else remember that early marketing from Airbus when we were told the A380 would feature large comfortable seating areas with room to stretch out and relax ? Ho Hum. Boeing did the same with the 747 launch – that featured a cinema !

    The pilgrim market is very much “pack ’em in, cheap as can be”. Emirates too are looking at doing a similar configuration for their Haj flights from Europe.


    AMcWhirter
    Participant

    This morning Tom interviewed the chief executive of Malaysia Airlines.

    You can read here about Malaysian Airlines’ plans for the six A380s in its fleet.

    Malaysia Airlines boss believes airlines have “missed the point” of the A380 superjumbo


    Flightlevel
    Participant

    Peter Bellew is right ofcourse ‘though by the time enough economy pax will fill the ‘plane and airfields in Asia are at capacity the B777x will have arrived and may be more competitive? He’s missing a market on current routes and with his ‘new’ airline and cheaper costs he can fill the A380 profitably!


    AMcWhirter
    Participant

    When the A380 was being developed I don’t believe anyone thought that airlines which operated Boeing aircraft would squeeze so many passengers into their twin-engined B777s and B787s.

    The B777x will accommodate many passengers. But as we have explained previously Air Canada’s B777-300ER already accommodates 450-passengers in a three-class layout.

    That is not far short of some A380 operators’ seating capacity.

    Indeed Korean Airlines has equipped its three-class A380s with only 407 seats.


    IanFromHKG
    Participant

    I wonder when (or if) Airbus will either produce the larger version of the A380 that the wings were designed for, or acknowledge that it won’t be produced and “right-size” the wings for the current aircraft. I would have thought the latter option would make for interesting competition with the 777X as I can imagine the fuel savings would be considerable, notwithstanding the four engines


    Tom Otley
    Keymaster
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