Avgeekery.com
  • Military
    • Fighter Aircraft
    • Military Transport
  • Commercial
    • Commercial News
    • Ancient Airlines
  • General Aviation
    • Airshows
    • Space
    • Experimental
    • Drones
    • Vintage
  • Join Our Team
Avgeekery.com
  • Military
    • Fighter Aircraft
    • Military Transport
  • Commercial
    • Commercial News
    • Ancient Airlines
  • General Aviation
    • Airshows
    • Space
    • Experimental
    • Drones
    • Vintage
  • Join Our Team
112K
0
4K
  • Commercial News

The A380plus Will Probably Fail: Here’s Why

  • June 23, 2017
  • One comment
  • 2 minute read
  • Holly Riddle
The A380plus appears at the Paris Air Show. Photo: Airbus
Total
0
Shares
0
0
0

The Airbus A380 is easily known as the largest passenger aircraft in existence, entering commercial service in 2007. A big deal when it first came on the market, and even now, it can carry the most people on a regular basis, and continues to do so around the world. However, a trend’s popped up that can’t be ignored (and shouldn’t be ignored, if the major aircraft manufacturers know what’s good for them): in the airline industry, bigger isn’t always better. For that reason, the A380’s successor, the A380plus, may be doomed to failure.  Here’s why:

1.) Convenience is Better Than Size

Massive jets were created to circle the globe, whisking passengers away to far-off destinations, carrying 400 or 500 individuals at once. But at the end of the day, that’s just not what the greater public wants or needs. They’d prefer a convenient flight that gets them where they need to go, when they need to get there, without traversing a big hub. It’s why the A330 and 787s of the world are flying direct between smaller cities, and are continuing to do so. Not to mention, Boeing itself has acknowledged the downward trend in demand for super-sized jets; at the Paris Air Show, vice president of marketing Randy Tinseth expressed that, for lack of better words, the 747-8i and the A380 markets are dead.

2. The Fixed-Cost Problem Still Exists

Bigger planes are more expensive to fly. It’s simple fact. The A380plus may offer aerodynamic improvements to help out with some of the efficiency gap, but, fundamentally, four engines are more expensive to operate and maintain than two. They may need to take a page from Boeing’s book, and realize that efficiency is where it’s at in today’s market. Just look at the ultra-efficient 777X coming online in the next few years, and you’ll see where industry interest is headed.

3. The Plus doesn’t add up to more comfort

The interior of a commercial airplane should be all about the passenger — their comfort, accessibility and, again, convenience. The A380 was a very comfortable jet a 10 across seating. Unfortunately, when you’re jammed 11 into a row in economy on an A380, you begin to feel like you are in a sardine can. That’s the fallacy behind the “plus”.  It’s squeezing more seats into a jet at the expense of comfort.

We’re guessing that there will be very few (if any) orders ever materialize for the A380 Plus.

Total
0
Shares
Share 0
Tweet 0
Pin it 0
Holly Riddle
Holly Riddle

Related Topics
  • A380 Plus
You May Also Like
View Post
  • Commercial News

Eastern Airlines Shut Down 30 Years Ago Today

  • Avgeekery
  • January 18, 2021
View Post
  • Airliners
  • Commercial News

Pilot Report: My 737 MAX Simulator Ride

  • Rob Graves
  • January 16, 2021
View Post
  • Ancient Airlines

A Look Back To The Turbojet Era at Los Angeles’ LAX Airport

  • Alexander Sakovich
  • January 1, 2021
View Post
  • Blog

One Good Thing From 2020: Alaska Airlines Bans Emotional Support Animals

  • Avgeekery
  • December 30, 2020
View Post
  • Blog

Training Video Shows You How To Fly a B-26 Marauder

  • Avgeekery
  • December 29, 2020
View Post
  • Blog

A Glimpse Into Sands Aviation’s High Roller Express Jets

  • Brian Wiklem
  • December 29, 2020
View Post
  • Blog

SAS Ends The 4 Engine Era With A340 Flight To Desert

  • Avgeekery
  • December 20, 2020
View Post
  • Blog

Fake Video Of Man ‘Cooking’ Steak In Regional Jet Bathroom Riles Up The Internet

  • Avgeekery
  • November 28, 2020
1 comment
  1. Pingback: Por qué el A380plus no convence a ninguna aerolínea – tendencias

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Follow us on Instagram
avatar
avgeekery
Avgeekery
4K Followers
An unducted fan UHB-270.  Looks alot like a DC-10, right?  This early concept was proposed by McDonnell Douglas in the early 1980s.  The goal was to achieve significantly improved efficiency over the CF-6 engines of the day.  The challenge with the UHB engines was they were very loud and had some vibration issues.  Although development of the engine type was eventually cancelled, the concept eventually paved the way for ultra-efficient engines like the GE-90, albeit with a cowling surrounding the fans.  Check out the full story of this proposed jet and other proposed UHB aircraft on our site. --> www.Avgeekery.com 119 0
Ringing in the new year with a classic Boeing 737-200.  Not many of these left these days in the US.  Hawaii has the largest concentration of jurassic baby Boeings but Canada takes the cake.  Here's hoping that 2021 is way better than 2020 for the aviation industry.  Who is with me? 62 0
So much technical prowess and speed in just one photo. me? 358 11
Fast and slow and awesome all in one photo.  The Concorde was the only Western-built supersonic airliner.  It could travel faster than Mach 2, allowing for a businessman/woman to travel from London to NYC and back in the same day. Then you have Bob Hoover and his unmatchable flying that he did.  We miss him for sure. #avgeek #avgeekery #concorde #washingtondc #bobhoover #udvarhazyairandspacemuseum #udvarhazy 157 3
Follow
Avgeekery.com
  • Military
  • Commercial
  • General Aviation
  • Join Our Team
Avgeeks sharing our love of aviation.
An unducted fan UHB-270.  Looks alot like a DC-10, right?  This early concept was proposed by McDonnell Douglas in the early 1980s.  The goal was to achieve significantly improved efficiency over the CF-6 engines of the day.  The challenge with the UHB engines was they were very loud and had some vibration issues.  Although development of the engine type was eventually cancelled, the concept eventually paved the way for ultra-efficient engines like the GE-90, albeit with a cowling surrounding the fans.  Check out the full story of this proposed jet and other proposed UHB aircraft on our site. --> www.Avgeekery.com 119 0
Ringing in the new year with a classic Boeing 737-200.  Not many of these left these days in the US.  Hawaii has the largest concentration of jurassic baby Boeings but Canada takes the cake.  Here's hoping that 2021 is way better than 2020 for the aviation industry.  Who is with me? 62 0
So much technical prowess and speed in just one photo. me? 358 11
Fast and slow and awesome all in one photo.  The Concorde was the only Western-built supersonic airliner.  It could travel faster than Mach 2, allowing for a businessman/woman to travel from London to NYC and back in the same day. Then you have Bob Hoover and his unmatchable flying that he did.  We miss him for sure. #avgeek #avgeekery #concorde #washingtondc #bobhoover #udvarhazyairandspacemuseum #udvarhazy 157 3
One of the best photos I ever took.  A Northwest airlines DC-9 prepares for departure from Midway Airport back in 2005. #avgeekery #avgeek #northwestairlines #midwayairport #dc9 #dc930 @delta 110 0
Talk about a fini flight! Our friend @vice.aviator caught this Learjet sneaking one last joy ride before meeting its maker.  What an incredible video!  Even scalpers get to have a big of fun once in a while. Taken at Miami-Opa Locka Executive airport. #avgeek #avgeekery #aviationlovers #pilotlife #learjet #finiflight #instaaviation #aircrew #miaspotters 268 10

Input your search keywords and press Enter.