Nobbe

This just came in on cnnfn:

Deutsche Lufthansa, Europe's second-biggest airline, ordered 15 Airbus A380 jumbo jets worth about $3.6 billion.

The German airline had postponed the decision following the September 11 terror attacks that sparked a crisis in the airline industry that has cost more than 100,000 jobs, a slump in profits and drop in passenger numbers.

Lufthansa (FLHA) said the first 555-seater double-decker A380 would be delivered in 2007. Lufthansa declined to discuss the price of the order but each aircraft has a list price of $240 million.

"With this decision, we are signalling a future-oriented investment, which will help strengthen Lufthansa's position long term in international competition," Chief Executive Juergen Weber said in a statement.


Well, apart from if you are with Lufthansa and Airbus, I think this is good news after all. Lufthansa has had a lot of trouble last weeks, too, but they are confident that there will be better times soon. What´s your opinion?

Have a nice day

Nobbe

Sean1999 Ram Air TA

I still think the 380 will be a bust down the road.

Sean

Stanman

Probably a good thing that with Lufthansa's current livery all you have to do is repaint the tail and white out the name.

Wonder what routes they'll use it on. Probably would be a good plane to hire for the annual haj flights to Mecca.

LeitenderNotarzt

Well,

Lufthansa's "troubles" are quite moderate when compared to those of American, United, Continental, Delta, and British Airways. They will have better days very soon.

There was no doubt that Lufthansa would withdraw their A380 decision made in autumn this year - just a question of time.

The A380 is an ugly bird - but Boeing should keep an eye open. The have nothing to compete with the A380, and the latter is collecting orders from important airlines worldwide...

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LeitenderNotarzt

Should read "(...) was no doubt that Lufthansa would not withdraw their A380 decision (...)".

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L-1011 TriStar ... Beauty of the Skies

SonicCruiser

I think LH management has just made a huge blunder. I can tell
you the airline I work for has been averaging load factors in the
85-90% range the last few weeks, but these seats have all
been heavily discounted.

Do they honestly think that this aircraft will make money? No way
jose's... I think they were just bending to an incredible amount of
political pressure... it's all about jobs, and getting Germany's
aircraft industry stronger...

Another thing, do you think these terrorists are done just cuz we
blew up a bunch of their caves in Afghanistan? I dont think so, just witness what has been happening in in Israel the past week.

It is only going to take one more terrorist action on the airline
industry to put under 20-30 airlines overnight. Do you think the
government will be able to put out more airline bailout money? Who is going to pay for it all? The already overburdened taxpayers of the U.S. and Canada, & Europe? Hey, the way I
feel about it, if the government gives airlines taxpayer bailout
money, then the taxpayers should get stock in the airline,

hey, wasn't it Ben Franklin who said "Come shekles, come shackles"?

LeitenderNotarzt

So, do you really think Lufthansa would endanger its future in an effort to "strengthen Germany's aircraft industry"??? Ridiculous!

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L-1011 TriStar ... Beauty of the Skies

SonicCruiser

Well, lets just say that LH's board of directors certainly gave it
some second thought after they temporarily postponed their
order after 9/11.

There is certainly no question as to the business acumen, and
financial astuteness of Mr. Weber and the rest of the managers at LH. LH has a very long proven, and demonstrated track record that many other airlines could only hope to emulate. LH has a
history of fantastic managers, especially over the last 20 years.

I do believe that there are very few routes in the world that could sustain an aircraft this size, so to order a fleet the size that they
did, in light of people parking smaller 747's everywhere, I wonder where the common sense is.

Yes, I still feel that LH bowed under political pressure to keep their order active. Maybe the government in Germany sweetened the deal somehow, and in someway, will try to "offset" the cost of operating this aircraft.

There is a lot of nationalistic pride in a project of this magnitude.
My gut tells me that most, if not all of these aircraft, will be
doing nothing but flying cargo within a few years. Of course, that
is what they thought of the 747 as well when it came out, and
that is why Juan Trippe was so influential in the design of the 747,
you could be right. But like I mentioned before, there just needs
to be one more direct terrorist attack against the airlines to cause
irreversable damage. I really think that those guys hiding in the caves of Afghanastan are not done yet. Only time will tell.

DeltaFlot

I wouldn't say that Boeing has nothing to compete with the A380. The proposed 747-600 has the same number of seats that an A380 has and most airlines and airports can handle 747's already. I am thinking that when the A380 gets on the market, that the airlines that buy them will realize the mistake they have made, and get Boeing to start production of the 747-600. The only reason these airlines are ordering the A380 is that they are the new toy to play with and their governments (especially european carriers) are probably pressuring them to buy the homebuilt stuff. Just my two cents.

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December 7, 1941
June 8, 1967
September 11, 2001
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If you kick the Tiger in the arse, you better be able to deal with the Tiger's teeth.

AirDar

A look into the future of Lufthansa's A380's



They'll probably be carrying smaller Airbus parts to Toulouse when the Beluga's are busy with the big pieces!

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Yours is but to BUY or DIE!

flick70

Ouch!

Stanman

Just a thought but an A380 modified and strengthened for domestic use in Japan would be ideal for that environment where slots are few. Unfortunately I don't know what percentage of the A380 any Japanese manufacturer is making but I dont' think it's particularly large so unless there's a huge need it probably won't be ordered by them.

Nobbe

AirDar,

thanks for your pic! Looks nice, although I don´t like the LH livery very much: colors are the same as the Microsoft standard scheme.

SonicCruiser

Air Dar

Nice Picture. I hate to admit it, but I think the A380 in LH Cargo
colors actually looks pretty nice. Nicer than any of the other
schemes I have seen.

I got a feeling we will be seeing 18 of these flying by 2012

By then, maybe we will see LH flying a jumbo Sonic Cruiser the size of the 747 ?

Chansen

http://dac.senternet.com/showthread....&threadid=6937

AlphaSigOU

The 'Flying Salami' with a German touch

Seriously, guys, remember that Boeing bet the farm developing and building the 747... and had it not come at the right time, Boeing would probably be belly-up. Jury's still out on the A380.

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Chuck Corway (AlphaSigOU)

Causa latet vis est notissima -- the cause is hidden, the results are well known.

James Bond: "I'll take the full odds on the ten, two hundred on the hard way, the limit on all the numbers, two hundred and fifty on the eleven, thank you very much."

Plenty O'Toole: "Hey! You've played this game before!"

James Bond: "Just once."

REMEMBER THE ALAMO!!! REMEMBER PEARL HARBOR!!! REMEMBER SEPTEMBER 11!!!!

Chansen

Do I look like I am joking! This town needs an enema?

hernan

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