The chief of the world's largest airline has criticized airlines for not
buying more A380 super jumbo's as Airbus hints at closing the production line
down in 2018.
Responding to a Bloomberg report about Airbus CFO, Harald Wilhelm, telling
investors in London on Wednesday that Airbus is considering closing the A380
line because of a lack of orders, Emirates President Sir Tim Clark warned
that with air travel due to double in the next ten years to 7 billion
passengers, airlines and airports will need giant jets like the 517 seat A380.
"The A380 is a passenger magnet. We operate five a day from Dubai to London's
Heathrow and they are 95 per cent full," Mr Clark told Airlineratings.com in
an exclusive interview.
"Airlines are too conservative and have not put the right interiors into
their A380s."
"Some of the interiors are a disgrace and used 1970s thinking," Mr Clark told
Airlineratings.com.
"We put all our premium seats on the upper deck and economy on the main deck,
but others have mixed them which is inefficient."
"Our competitors laughed at us when we put showers and a lounge in the A380."
"But passengers love the showers and the lounge."
"The A380 is a great aircraft. If airlines don't believe they can fill an
A380 then their business model is wrong," said Mr Clark.
"Their marketing is all wrong."
Emirates has 55 A380s in service with orders for a further 85. However sales
to other airlines have almost dried up.
Airbus is considering an upgrade of the A380 -called the A380neo- with new
engines and aerodynamic improvements.
Mr Clark said the new model, if built, will have excellent economics, as good
as the Boeing 777X that Boeing will introduce in 2018.
"And we will buy 140 of the A380neos" Mr Clark told Airlineratings.com.
"As long as I am around I am going to continue to fight the battle for the
A380."
"This is a great aircraft and the world needs it."
http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/airbus-a380-a-winner-300008374.html
缩网址:http://tinyurl.com/ow6v5x4
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如标题,Airbus要是推出A380neo,Emirates将大买140架....
比先前的150架777-8/9还要跨张....
Emirates目前有55架In Service跟85架On Order中的A380-800
真的买A380neo大概是要替换这些的吧,但怎么处理掉也是另一个问题