Airbus A380! A Huge White Elephant?

[bits44]

http://www.heraldnet.com/stories/05/01/ ... iss001.cfm

[Bruspotter]

Hello

Well, i don't mind. How bigger how better for me!!!!!

I'm looking forward to meet this beauty!

Best regards: Yannick

[SN30952]

A380 may just be too big?
Never too big...

In the story of the Buddha, the white elephant is connected to fertility and to knowledge.
This was set out in a Buddhist text, the "Three Worlds" says:
"The magnificent king has seven things:
a perfect wife, and able treasurer, a wise prime minister, a swift horse, a wheel of the law and a precious gem to guide his actions and the most noble of white elephants."

The A380 is for kings, not for presidents....

The white elephant was also key to royal pageantry - kings chose the biggest, most magnificent elephants for royal ceremonies and processions.

The white elephant is something above an ordinary elephant.

In other words: The A380 is something above an ordinary elephant (jumbo).

[CAI1]

I would not travel on such a huge a/c unless I absolutely have no other option. I like flying point to point on smaller ones--200-300 seats. No hub connection for me.

[Zorba]

I would not travel on such a huge a/c unless I absolutely have no other option. I like flying point to point on smaller ones--200-300 seats. No hub connection for me.

I don't understand how you can say this when you didn't even saw it in real or even didn't fly on it

[SicilianFalcon]

Well what a load of crap.

Just keep hating it people and then when it comes out watch the proverbial ass kissing take place.



8) Forza

[bkonner]

Howdy,

As the article stated, the A380 will be used between the US and Asia and the EU and Asia. There is no need for the aircraft on trans Atlantic flights. And there certainly is no need for this aircraft on long distance US domestic flights. In fact, I just returned to Boston from LA, and American was using the 737-800 on all their services between LAX and BOS (2700 mile flight!). Six plus hours on a 737-800 is not fun (the entertainment is terrible on AA!!!). A couple of EU carriers, probably Air France, will use it briefly on EU-US flights, but they will quickly pull it, as there is no need for the aircraft in this market. They will use it only to show off the flag, EU pride, etc; just as every US carrier did in 1970 (and quickly got rid of the 747 beast!)

UPS made the correct move in buying this aircraft. Federal Express probably will not buy it, at least not now, as their largest aircraft is the MD11/DC-10. But as Asian airport landing slots become tight, things may change.

The only US carrier besides UPS that probably will buy it, at least now, is Northwest. They will have a need for it. United Airlines can barely afford to buy toilet paper for their bathrooms, so I would not expect them to be looking at this aircraft anytime soon. Delta, American, and Continental would not likely buy it, as the largest aircraft these carriers fly is the 777. It does not fit their strategic plans.

The 747 has been paid for. Every aircraft Boeing sells is gravy. They could probably spend a little cash and update the aircraft and significantly undersell the A380. This is especially true, as it seems the EU and the US are ending their aircraft subsidy war and not going to the WTO.

It comes down to economics. Who knows what will happen. But I certainly would like to fly this aircraft at least once.

bkonner

[bits44]

A380 may just be too big?
Never too big...

In the story of the Buddha, the white elephant is connected to fertility and to knowledge.
This was set out in a Buddhist text, the "Three Worlds" says:
"The magnificent king has seven things:
a perfect wife, and able treasurer, a wise prime minister, a swift horse, a wheel of the law and a precious gem to guide his actions and the most noble of white elephants."

The A380 is for kings, not for presidents....

The white elephant was also key to royal pageantry - kings chose the biggest, most magnificent elephants for royal ceremonies and processions.

The white elephant is something above an ordinary elephant.

In other words: The A380 is something above an ordinary elephant (jumbo).

Or this Asian interpretation:

white elephant

An unwanted or useless item, as in The cottage at the lake had become a real white elephant too run down to sell, yet costly to keep up, or Grandma's ornate silver is a white elephant; no one wants it but it's too valuable to discard. This expression comes from a legendary former Siamese custom whereby an albino elephant, considered sacred, could only be owned by the king. The king would bestow such an animal on a subject with whom he was displeased and wait until the high cost of feeding the animal, which could not be slaughtered, ruined the owner. The story was told in England in the 1600s, and in the 1800s the term began to be used figuratively

[CAI1]

I would not travel on such a huge a/c unless I absolutely have no other option. I like flying point to point on smaller ones--200-300 seats. No hub connection for me.

I don't understand how you can say this when you didn't even saw it in real or even didn't fly on it

It doesn't matter my friend if It not built yet such as A380, or 35 years old such as B747. I try to avoid hugh aircraft because check-in line ups, boarding-deplaning takes more time, customs clearance can take forever (NRT, JFK, LHR to name a few), miss your flight at connection hubs (DXB, SIN, CDG, ORD to name a few) ... etc.
If someone calling themselves Airbus this, or Minibus that, take offence that I didn't like one of their 'holly' planes, I'm sorry, but I HATE HUGH PLANES and I HATE BIG HUB CONNECTIONS. By the way, I'm Egyptian and I don't give a darn if the plane is made in Europe(old or new), or the U.S (north or south), or even China which I think in one generation will drive Airbus and Boeing into the waste basket of history.

[SN30952]

I try to avoid hugh aircraft because check-in line ups, boarding-deplaning takes more time, customs clearance can take forever (NRT, JFK, LHR to name a few), miss your flight at connection hubs (DXB, SIN, CDG, ORD to name a few) ... etc.

So your problem is not big aircraft, but bad organised airports. Surprise you did not include CAI then....
Indeed, Europe is the continent with the high speed train, connecting the business centres of the 'old' continent. Millions use it, their volume (capacity) is comparable to the A380, and infrastructures are adapted to such volumes of embarking and disembarking passengers. Europe will also be the area where the huge aircraft will take off and fly all over the world, and airports will be adapted to these needs too.
Both these equipments are now exported to dynamic and progressive economies.

Herds of white elephants.... coming.
America will not only buy Japanese cars, Chinese shoes and computers, but also European aircraft.

[CAI1]

I try to avoid hugh aircraft because check-in line ups, boarding-deplaning takes more time, customs clearance can take forever (NRT, JFK, LHR to name a few), miss your flight at connection hubs (DXB, SIN, CDG, ORD to name a few) ... etc.

So your problem is not big aircraft, but bad organised airports. Surprise you did not include CAI then....
Indeed, Europe is the continent with the high speed train, connecting the business centres of the 'old' continent. Millions use it, their volume (capacity) is comparable to the A380, and infrastructures are adapted to such volumes of embarking and disembarking passengers. Europe will also be the area where the huge aircraft will take off and fly all over the world, and airports will be adapted to these needs too.
Both these equipments are now exported to dynamic and progressive economies.

Herds of white elephants.... coming.
America will not only buy Japanese cars, Chinese shoes and computers, but also European aircraft.

Of course I didn't include CAI, because it is a small airport, as well as the MOTHER OF ALL CIVILIZATIONS. However, it is now VERY OLD. NEW countries and civilizations appear on different continents at diferent times. By the way, I lived in LON, PAR, TYO and SFO. I know very well how speed trains run (the best of them is the Japanese Shinkansen and the original one as well), been and lived around airports, lived in so many cultures. That is why I'm telling you, Europeans & Americans will buy everything from Asia (I come from the poor continent of Africa, so I'm neutral). Forget about Airbus, Boeing and the rest of them, Asia will be the wave of the future. This is the last time I will talk outside of the aviation subject.

[Advisor]

FONS : the white elephant is connected to fertility and to knowledge.

The white elephant in INDIA is revered and is more commonly called as ERAWAT. Or the Noble White One.

Viva A380 WE AWAIT U

[sn26567]

Howdy,

As the article stated, the A380 will be used between the US and Asia and the EU and Asia. Etc.

Thanks for nice analysis, bkonner. And welcome to Luchtzak.

[Advisor]

Source : http://www.planepictures.net/netsearch4 ... rch=F-WWOW

A lot of pictures. The Elephant has blue and gree also

[Buzz]

UPS made the correct move in buying this aircraft. Federal Express probably will not buy it, at least not now, as their largest aircraft is the MD11/DC-10. But as Asian airport landing slots become tight, things may change.

Federal Express (FedEx) bought the plane long before UPS did... They ordered 10 straight from Airbus.

[Rago]

So your problem is not big aircraft, but bad organised airports. Surprise you did not include CAI then....

Of course I didn't include CAI, because it is a small airport, as well as the MOTHER OF ALL CIVILIZATIONS. However, it is now VERY OLD.

Forget about Airbus, Boeing and the rest of them, Asia will be the wave of the future.

When you have to wait in a small very old bad organised airport or a brand new one, it's :censored: . So You can put it on the list
As you consider it more as "a grandmother", sometimes it's good to continue and evolute.

Asia the wave of the future? If you're counting on the Chinese, forget it!!! The Chinese aviation industry is making mostly cheap copies of other countries' investments... So the day that our (=European, American and Russian) planes are "gone", the chinese also are gone!

[SN30952]

So the day that our (=European, American and Russian) planes are "gone", the chinese also are gone!

By the time they'll have their act together, there will be no petrol anymore....
And that's within 3 decades, some say 25 years.
Will the West then have found the solution to lift the white elephants into the skies? Will there be powerful alternative engines, that do not require too much weight and volume on aircraft?
Or will we (me too I hope), be travelling on intercontinental super high speed trains, powered by electricity, or superfast ocean cruisers, that will speed thousands of passengers over the oceans?

Or what will happen after the biggest war of all ages, when the nation that had the biggest jetpower reserves finally won, because the ennemies ran out of fuel? What is an airforce without jetpower?
Or will the biggest infantery walk over the world: on foot?
Are the Huns coming back?

Will luchtzak have to change into "rugzak'? Who will tell?

[SicilianFalcon]

Thanks for the entertainment guys, Very refreshing

8) Forza!

[Ozzie1969]

This expression comes from a legendary former Siamese custom whereby an albino elephant, considered sacred, could only be owned by the king. The king would bestow such an animal on a subject with whom he was displeased and wait until the high cost of feeding the animal, which could not be slaughtered, ruined the owner.

I visited the Royal Palace in Bangkok in 2002, and was told by a guide there that every albino elephant born in Thailand still automatically becomes the property of the King, although the custom of bestowing them on his enemies is no longer in use.

[bits44]

Apparently all Europeans are not that enamored with the A380


http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0, ... 38,00.html