Do Or Die For Airbus

A flying demo version of the Airbus A380 has landed in New York -- and another in Los Angeles.

This is "do-or-die" time for Airbus, having had many of its orders canceled by American companies such as UPS and FedEx.

The 239-foot-long A380, now the largest commercial (non-military) passenger plane in the world, can seat as many as 550 passengers, holds 81,890 gallons of fuel, cruise at 560 mph and fly some 8,000 nautical miles. German airlines Lufthansa flew the Airbus into Kennedy International on a demo flight.

The flights come as Airbus looks to put what Louis Gallois, co-chief executive of parent company European Aeronautic Defense and Space Co., called "the worst year for Airbus in its life" behind it. Airbus is seeking to recoup its losses by cutting 10,000 jobs and spinning off or closing six of its European manufacturing plants.

Think about this for a moment if you will. I wrote a prior post on Airbus vs. Boeing. Boeing is having one of its best years yet; Airbus, a consortium of businesses governmentally-supported by France, Germany and England, are doing their level best to level Boeing and, with three governments behind them, cannot do it.

Further, the Airbus A380 requires a massive upfit for those airports willing to berth the monster:

The company revised its plan to allow for arrival at both locations. Los Angeles sped up construction of a $9 million gate for the giant gate to accommodate the plane.

The A380 will potentially carry 550 passengers on two levels. I flew 18 times last year on small Southwest Boeing 737s. Many Southwest passengers possess carry-on luggage only. It can take up to a half hour (or more) to get on or off a 737.

Wonder what kind of time it will take to load and deplane 550 persons from an A380? Or, better yet, to extricate 550 passengers from two levels in an emergency?

Me fly on an A380? Not just no way, no damned way.

BZ